


you shine like the stars (you light up my heart)

by wistfullywishing



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Adventure & Romance, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien/Human Relationships, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Alternate Universe - Space, Chinguline (EXO), Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, Interspecies Relationship(s), Light Angst, M/M, Mechanic Chanyeol, Outer Space, Plot Twists, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Shapeshifting, Sharing a Bed, Trust Issues, kimbros - Freeform, kyungsoo is there to keep everyone else from going crazy, sail sail sail gotta gotta go go gotta find the el dorado, sneaky alien baekhyun, spaceship captain jongdae, there is a kitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-23 13:32:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13191141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wistfullywishing/pseuds/wistfullywishing
Summary: Kim Jongdae didn’t ask to be sent across the galaxy to find the El Dorado and fulfill a prophecy. But it’s what he finds along the way that makes him think the whole journey was worth it in the end.





	you shine like the stars (you light up my heart)

**Author's Note:**

> wow, this was an /experience/. writing this fic took so much out of me - it's definitely different than what i normally write and also the longest thing i've managed to date, but i think it's a nice note to end the year on ♡
> 
> that said, here is a long string of thank yous:
> 
> \- thank you so so much to the exonaut mods for always being encouraging and not banishing me forever when i asked for extension after extension. you guys truly do so much for writers, and this fic is dedicated to you bc i actually could not have gotten here without your help  
> \- thank you to my one and only beta for telling me i could do it every time i thought about trashing the entire thing and who listened to me whine day after day about my progress on this thing, your support means the world  
> \- thank you to everyone who listened to me complain about this fic without actually giving anything away!! u know who u are :)  
> \- thank you to the prompter for starting this whole thing up (and i hope you don't mind that i took a lot of liberties with this)  
> \- thank you to exo because their songs gave me the will to write this basically, hmu if anyone wants the playlist to this fic lol (also i took the title from my favorite track from the winter album so thank you for blessing us with that song @ exo)
> 
> also since this is my last fic of 2017 - thank you so much to everyone who helped me grow as a writer this year. hopefully i will continue to improve in 2018!!!
> 
> prompt #175: Jongdae enters a black hole gate with two people aboard. Jongdae exits the gate with three people aboard.

**Exoplanet: Jigu**

 

Jongdae is going to shove Kim Junmyeon off of the nearest cliff for not telling him about the prophecy sooner the moment the jerk gets home from work.

Yes, he understands that his older brother has his hands full with being part of the New Government and all, but it would’ve been nice to have a heads up at least a few weeks in advance before being sent off on a quest to the other side of the universe in order to locate and retrieve a block of gold prophesied to unite the warring factions. And “El Dorado” is the cheesiest name ever.

Jongdae doesn’t even know if his ship is still in working condition after his last journey to the next galaxy over. He realizes whilst steaming rice for dinner that he could probably could get Chanyeol’s help to get it up to standard, but that’s only if his friend would be willing to assist on such short notice. Again, he would’ve appreciated a heads up.

For as long as Jongdae can remember, the two inhabitant species of the Andromeda galaxy have been hostile with each other. Relations are actually a lot better than they used to be; before the fall of the Old Government, the Ingan and Byeonhyeong populations were locked in a full-scale war, but with the New Government’s focus on intergalactic relations in recent years, the fighting has been more passive-aggressive than actually threatening. It seems like a waste of both time and resources. The sneaky fighting is more likely to destroy the galaxy than anything else, at this point.

Jongdae thinks politics are stupid. He doesn’t understand why everyone can’t just get along, but Junmyeon explained a few years ago that the reason the Byeonhyeong refuse to cooperate is because they’re quite haughty, being the older race, and want as little to do with the advanced technology of the Ingan civilization as possible. In the eyes of the Byeonhyeong, what they lack in technology is made up for with their shapeshifting abilities. But Junmyeon said that most of the Elder Ingan just think that eventually the Byeonhyeong will upset the balance of the galaxy with their inferior technology, and are thus trying to forcefully implement their own tools on their neighbors.

Junmyeon himself, as well as a large portion of the New Government, is of the opinion that appreciation of the other race’s ancient cultures and thorough education regarding the benefits of the Ingan’s modern technology is the best solution to the hostility between the nations, but much of the general population still remains unconvinced.

And now it turns out that while he was in university, Junmyeon discovered a prophecy that declared the Ingan and Byeonhyeong nations would finally unite under the guidance of the El Dorado, and he just never cared to share it with Jongdae or anyone not part of the Government before now. Which, fantastic. Jongdae is glad his own brother deems him trustworthy.

It came as a shock when he found out from the news this morning along with the rest of the world.

Well. Jongdae always wondered how Junmyeon worked his way up into the Government at such a young age and why the Elders were so quick to accept him. Of course his perfect older brother would be the one to save the fate of the Andromeda galaxy.

And of course his perfect older brother would nominate him to be the one to retrieve the El Dorado from a cluster of planets located in the Messier galaxy. Junmyeon always had high expectations for Jongdae, despite his constant protesting that he was perfectly happy out of the limelight.

Then again, Jongdae muses while setting the table, he did graduate from the most prestigious space academy at the top of his class, making him the most qualified person for the job. He hasn’t entirely managed to escape the influence of his ambitious older brother.

Junmyeon is always blathering about Jongdae’s “wasted potential” due to him turning down a position at the Daegigwon Bakk Space Agency in favor of traveling between the nearby galaxies and exploring whenever he feels like it. It looks like all of that potential will finally be put to use.

Jongdae sighs and treks to the living room to phone Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, and beg them to accompany him on his trip.

\---

“So,” Chanyeol says, scanning the exterior of Jongdae’s ship. “If I come with you, I get to be in charge of messing with all the stuff on board?”

Jongdae rolls his eyes at his friend. “Well, when you put it like that…”

“Jongdae, please?”

“Okay, fine. You’re the mechanic after all.” Jongdae pats Chanyeol on the back. “Your job is to make sure my ship doesn't fall apart mid-journey.”

Chanyeol turns to face Jongdae and grins all shark-like, showing a row of white teeth. “That’s a lot of trust you’re putting in me, isn’t it? What if it does?”

“Would that trust be misplaced?” Jongdae counters boldly. He has seen Chanyeol in diapers, Chanyeol creating new ships out of badly-damaged metal scraps, and everything in between. He’s confident in his childhood friend’s ability to work miracles when it comes to space vessels. “If it does, I throw you off and into outer space and you can figure it out from there.”

The taller of the two smirks. “Alright, then. I’ll come with.”

\---

The other man Jongdae wants for his crew is harder to convince (and smarter than Chanyeol).

Kyungsoo raises a thick eyebrow at Jongdae and doesn’t bother moving from the doorway. “I know you’re just as capable of doing calculations as I am. You don’t need me to come with you.”

“You’re better at math than me.”

“Jongdae, you are so full of bullshit. If I recall correctly, you scored two points higher than me on the Vector Calculus final during our sophomore year.”

Jongdae and Kyungsoo met in university, when they were placed in the same dorm during their freshman year. They quickly bonded over the struggles of engineering physics and became fast friends, moving in together after the first year. In their entire college career, Jongdae only outscored Kyungsoo on one mathematics exam and to this day, the younger still hasn’t forgotten about it.

In all honesty, Kyungsoo probably would have become valedictorian if not for Jongdae’s scarily gifted skills at aircraft structural design, the one subject that Kyungsoo could never top him in because he had “no imagination” (he’d explained during their first conversation), instead preferring to do things the same way every time (“because why change something that hasn’t failed?”). Otherwise, the two were pretty evenly matched in most of their other subjects. This resulted in the younger becoming salutatorian instead.

“Kyungsoo, let it go already!” Jongdae whines loudly. “That was ONE test! You already know you’re smarter than me!”

Kyungsoo’s serious expression disappears as he flashes the barest hint of a grin. “I know. I just wanted to hear you admit it yourself.”

“Asshole,” Jongdae mutters, kicking his feet at Kyungsoo’s weathered doorstep. Kyungsoo snorts.

“Guess I can’t leave you to suffer through Chanyeol’s company all by yourself, can I? Though you honestly deserve it for that time I was on a business trip at Oegug and you let my favorite cactus die.” Jongdae’s ex-roommate frowns. “I still have no idea how. Honestly, you had _one_ job, Jongdae. How hard is it to keep a cactus alive?”

 

**Day 1**

 

Jongdae sighs as he hugs Junmyeon for the third time that day. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worrying,” Junmyeon snaps as he holds his younger brother tighter. “I’m just afraid for you.”

Jongdae has to bite his tongue in order to keep back a _same thing_ from escaping past his lips. “You do realize that it was your idea to send me off on this trip, right?” he asks into Junmyeon’s ear.

“I know, I know. It’s just — nothing. Just be safe, okay?” the older man says, finally letting go of his brother. “I know you’ll make me proud.”

“Whatever, Junmyeon. I’ll see you in a month, then. Don’t let any new wars erupt in the meantime.” Jongdae rolls his eyes but shoots Junmyeon one last reassuring smile before stepping onto the ladder to the entrance of his ship.

“Never,” Junmyeon chuckles as he watches Jongdae climb up to where his crew members are waiting to pull him up with outstretched hands, taking the responsibilities of the fate of Jigu with him.

He trusts that the three of them will watch out for each other.

\---

“So, then,” Chanyeol says with one hand reaching towards the control panel of the ship. “We’re off?”

“We’re off,” Kyungsoo confirms, a small smile tugging at one corner of his usually-stoic mouth. They haven’t even left yet, but already the excitement of going off on a voyage again like old times is buzzing in the atmosphere, thrumming under their skin and in their veins.

“Yep,” says Jongdae, surveying the control room one last time to make sure everything is in its place. “Who’s ready for a month of nothing but cup noodles?”

 

**Day 2**

 

“Are we there yet?”

“Chanyeol, you literally asked that five minutes ago, and _no,_ we’re still not there.”

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol whines, flopping his gangly body into a chair by the control panel. “Get us there faster.”

“You know what, Chanyeol? That’s what they said on the _Titanic_ too, and look at how well that worked out.” Kyungsoo glares angrily at the other as Chanyeol spins around in his chair, arms flying wildly, almost changing the setting of a lever. Kyungsoo hisses, and Chanyeol pauses in his spinning to stick out his tongue back at the smaller one.

“Chanyeol, why don’t you go check on the boiler room,” Jongdae suggests helpfully, turning around from where he’s slaving over the rations log and attempting to make the numbers work. “We’ll call you when we’re nearing the gate.”

Chanyeol squints at Jongdae long and hard, but in the end he goes dutifully, sulking and muttering something about _short nerds trying to rid the world of tall and handsome individuals_ as he passes Jongdae. Kyungsoo sends Jongdae a thankful look, but there’s something wistful in his gaze as he watches Chanyeol leave.

Forty-seven minutes later, the ship is finally nearing the black hole gate. Jongdae can see the bodies of the Byeonhyeong guards marching about the entrance platform, their menacing weapons braced and ready. From out in space, the forces look small, but Jongdae knows from experience that they’re a lot more intimidating face to face.

“I’ll go get Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo says tactfully and leaves the room. Jongdae takes in a deep breath.

When the ship pulls up to the gate, Jongdae shuts the engines off just as Kyungsoo reappears with Chanyeol in tow. They both look at Jongdae expectantly. The captain jerks his head towards the door.

\---

From a watchtower that stands high above the gate, a pair of starry eyes eagerly watches the three men that exit the parked ship. They turn to the owner’s companion, a smirk gracing the owner’s thin lips.

“That’s them, right? The ones that are going to get the El Dorado?”

“Shit, how did you find out about that?” the Byeonhyeong with angled eyes reminiscent of a feline’s shushes his friend, looking warily over his shoulder despite the fact that they’re the only two up in the watchtower.

The other Byeonhyeong laughs. “Hey, I have my ways.” His expression turns enthusiastic, scaring his older friend because he knows that look, and it means trouble for sure. “What do you say I mess with them?”

“You and I both know that it’s a _bad idea_ -”

“Someone should stop them, though. Everyone knows about the prophecy, despite however hush-hush the Ingan think they’ve managed to keep it. And everyone wants to stop it from happening. The Ingan think they’re going to somehow make our lives better, but Byeonhyeong were alive for _centuries_ before even the first unremarkable little Ingan human showed up, and we’re going to be perfectly fine now without their dumb ideas of ‘coexisting peacefully’ or ‘working together’ or intercultural nonsense _._ Nobody wants to do it. The only reason Premier Yifan hasn’t done anything about it is because he doesn’t want to ‘aggravate the Ingan further’ or whatever.”

“I hate to break it to you, but Premier Yifan is wise and full of good ideas, _unlike you_ , and that’s also the reason that he is head of the Administration and _you’re not_ , and-”

“It doesn’t matter! He should listen to what the popular opinion demands! This isn’t some sort of fucked-up _monarchy_!”

“Oh my god, calm down!” the older Byeonhyeong warily eyes his starry-eyed friend, waiting for him to spontaneously combust. “There’s nothing I can say that’ll make you change your mind, is there?” he asks, knowing fully well of the answer already.

“You know I’m going to do something no matter what. Think of me as the underdog acting according to the wishes of the people? I’m doing the work of the people.”

“Fine. I won’t stop you. If you get yourself into any kind of trouble, though, which I know you will because you always do, just remember that I warned you. I won’t tell anyone about your plan, if I can even call it that, but from here on out — I can’t help you either.”

The other is quiet for a moment before he answers. “Alright,” he finally says, a slow grin spreading over his handsome features. “Good enough for me.” A heady dose of excitement is already lighting up the stars in his eyes.

\---

Jongdae hands the keys to his ship off to a Byeonhyeong guard, making sure to warn him to leave everything exactly where his team had found it during mandatory inspections. He doesn’t want to come back to his ship in disarray. The guard, a poker-faced man with white blonde hair and a tag reading “SEHUN” stares them down and asks them what their business is.

Jongdae almost wants to say _fulfilling a prophecy,_ but he doesn’t think that Sehun would appreciate that kind of cheekiness and manages to bite his tongue in time. Instead, he tells him after an all-too-telling silence, “Uncharted exploration.” The lie rolls off of his tongue as easily as water, but Jongdae knows Sehun doesn’t believe him. The guard’s face remains impassive for the most part, but his eyes show a hint of curiosity as he steps back to let Jongdae and his crew pass.

Chanyeol looks like he wants to say something more, but Jongdae and Kyungsoo quickly drag him out of the check-in room before he can incite conflict or reveal the true reason for their travels. Years of knowing Chanyeol has enlightened them to the fact that Chanyeol has no concept of subtlety, even though Junmyeon warned them not to share the details of their mission before they left. Jongdae figures it’s because a large portion of the Byeonhyeong population would be against the scenario that the prophecy details, and Junmyeon doesn’t want to risk word getting to the wrong ears and causing trouble.

They gently escort Chanyeol all the way to the food court of the rest stop, upon where Jongdae finally lets go of his taller friend’s arm.

“Okay, guys, here’s the plan,” Jongdae announces to two pairs of attentive eyes. “Get whatever you need — food, water, bathroom, whatever. Meet back at the ship in two hours. Inspections should be done by then. If you’re not back by time, I’m leaving without you.” He makes sure to raise an eyebrow in Chanyeol’s direction as he finishes talking, even though all three of them know that he’d leave a leg behind before leaving Chanyeol.

“Why are you both looking at me?” Chanyeol asks, expression souring with an exaggerated scowl. “I’ll be on time.”

\---

Unsurprisingly, Chanyeol is late to the regrouping. They all knew he wouldn’t be on time. Kyungsoo suggests that they actually leave their friend for just this once to let him know that they wouldn’t put up with his bad habits anymore, and Jongdae snorts as he imagines Chanyeol’s outrage in discovering that they’d left him at the black hole gate.

“How long do you think it’ll take him to get back here?” Jongdae muses to Kyungsoo. He’s sitting on the edge of the entrance platform of his ship, dangling his legs back and forth above the ladder out of boredom. The younger has already told him twice to _fucking either get in the ship or jump out but stop sitting in between, it’s a safety hazard_ , but Jongdae is pretty sure that Kyungsoo is just worried about him falling. The idea of Kyungsoo being so blatantly concerned about him warms his heart and makes his cheeks heat up.

“Half of my salary from this trip says that he forgot we were even supposed to meet,” retorts Kyungsoo, his eyes trained on the landway between their ship and the small port.

“No bet,” Jongdae answers decisively, because he wouldn’t put it past Chanyeol to forget.

Sure enough, when they finally spot Chanyeol’s figure running towards them with a large box in his arms, sweating and panting, Kyungsoo mutters a _told you so_ as Jongdae pulls himself to his feet. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yells out a, “Park Chanyeol, my grandma runs faster than you!” and delights in the way that the Byeonhyeong guards’ expressions twist in distaste, probably judging his immaturity.

Jongdae knows that the hostility between the wary Byeonhyeong and the Ingan won’t dissipate overnight, but he hopes that they’ll start to see change after he brings home the El Dorado.

\---

That night as they’re getting ready to retreat to their individual quarters for bed, Jongdae decides to call an impromptu crew meeting. He and Chanyeol are lounging in their sitting room, patiently waiting for Kyungsoo. Chanyeol’s stretched out on their couch, his box carefully placed on the other side of the couch by his oversized feet. He keeps shooting the box furtive looks when he thinks Jongdae isn’t looking, and Jongdae’s about to open his mouth and ask Chanyeol what his issue is when Kyungsoo throws open the door and steps into the room.

“This had better be important,” Kyungsoo grumbles. Judging from his pajama pants and mussed hair, he might’ve already been asleep while Jongdae and Chanyeol were still squabbling over who’s turn it was to use the bathroom. Jongdae thinks that if he was half as efficient as Kyungsoo, he could probably take over the entire galaxy and rule from a faraway comet, have the stars sing him lullabies every night.

Chanyeol’s eyes grow wide as he takes in Kyungsoo’s soft appearance, and Jongdae can almost see the arrow that shoots straight through his friend’s heart. Chanyeol has painfully obvious cartoon hearts over his eyes. Jongdae’s used to the difference between Daytime Kyungsoo and Pajamas Kyungsoo, having shared a room with him back during university, but he forgets that Chanyeol’s interactions with the other have mainly been limited to the no-nonsense front that Kyungsoo puts up for the world, despite their years of friendship.

Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the way that Chanyeol looks at him. He sneers in Chanyeol’s direction, and the other man fakes a wounded puppy expression.

“Stop flirting,” Jongdae tells his friends as Kyungsoo takes a seat on the arm of the couch next to Chanyeol, who instantly presses closer to him. “I have important things to say.”

“Then hurry up so I can go back to sleep,” Kyungsoo says, pushing Chanyeol’s head away from his lap. When Chanyeol’s head returns, Kyungsoo’s fingers wander into his hair and Jongdae decides not to comment.

“I did the calculations,” he begins instead. “I think we could get to the edge of Messier without any stops in a little less than two weeks, if we plan it right. Then if we take another two weeks to return home, we’ll be back at Jigu by the first of the next month.” The corner of his mouth pulls down in a frown as he considers. “We just might have to speed a bit, though.”

“Is that allowed?” asks Chanyeol, his eyes closed in contentment as Kyungsoo threads his fingers through his hair. “Are there tickets for intergalactic space travel speeding?”

One of Kyungsoo’s eyebrows tilts up. “You’re giving me permission to speed?”

“It’s not ideal,” Jongdae admits. “But this is a matter of urgency, so given the circumstances… I think I can give you permission to speed.”

Kyungsoo grins, his face lighting up in excitement in a way that makes him look years younger. “Don’t worry, if anything falls apart, we’ll just throw Chanyeol off the ship for not doing his job.”

Chanyeol’s in the middle of a protest when he sneezes, almost knocking Kyungsoo from his dainty perch on the arm of the couch. He hasn’t stopped sneezing since his return to the ship earlier in the afternoon.

“That’s not contagious, right?” Jongdae asks hesitantly, and Chanyeol draws himself up straight, moving his head from Kyungsoo’s lap. His eyes are wide and he’s shaking his head no even as he subconsciously moves closer to the box at his feet.

He hasn’t let his box out of his sight since reboarding the ship. Jongdae had assumed that the box, about the size of a small suitcase, was filled to the top with new flavors of cup noodles or something equally hilarious that would strike Chanyeol’s fancy, but he’s not so sure now, seeing as how Chanyeol guards the object with his life.

He trusts Chanyeol, though, and he’s not worried. If Chanyeol didn’t tell him the contents of the box, he must have his own reasons for not doing so. Looking at Kyungsoo, who’s glancing curiously down at Chanyeol’s feet and trying to stifle a yawn, tells him that he feels the same way.

“Okay,” says Jongdae, feeling physically drained himself all of a sudden. “In that case, does anyone have questions before we can all sleep?”

One of Kyungsoo’s hands reaches up and playfully tugs on Chanyeol’s ear. “Yeah, where’s the allergy medicine? Someone has to take care of this overgrown idiot or he’ll end up dying, and there’s no place to stash a dead body in space.”

 

**Day 5**

 

“Has anyone seen the galaxy guide? I swear I put it down by the control panel yesterday, but I haven’t seen it since,” Jongdae yells, frustratedly moving around stacks of papers in an effort to find his guide. He _knows_ that he set it down right next to his navigation calculations, but it’s just not here, there, or anywhere to be found.

“I think I might have seen it yesterday,” Chanyeol’s voice can be heard yelling back from the other room, echoing off the metal walls of the ship. “Actually, I feel like-”

Chanyeol is cut off by a loud, sudden shriek from Jongdae, and in half a second he’s on his feet and making a mad dash for the control room, almost tripping over his own gangly limbs in the process. Chanyeol bursts through the doorway in time to see Jongdae bent over the navigation panel in shock and Kyungsoo standing at the doorway opposite from Chanyeol, clearly having just come from the kitchen, and his wide eyes are showing the same confusion and panic that Chanyeol’s certain is reflected in his own expression.

Jongdae looks up when he hears his crew enter, fixing his gaze on the two of them, and if Chanyeol didn’t know Jongdae better he would cry and run, in that order. He’s never seen Jongdae look so scary, though Jongdae’s own worry is obvious in his eyes.

“Which one of you,” Jongdae begins, taking great care to keep his voice level. He has to stop for a minute to take a deep breath, and when he exhales, it comes out shaky. “Tell me, who changed the course of my ship sometime between last night and now?”

Kyungsoo is the first to speak, breaking the silence that falls after Jongdae’s question as both he and Chanyeol take the time to process the implications of what Jongdae’s telling them. “What do you mean, ‘who changed the course of the ship’?”

“I mean,” Jongdae stresses, looking more like he doesn’t know what to do by the second. “We’ve been going in the wrong direction for several hours now. We’re not going to make it to Messier by the supposed arrival date.”

Chanyeol looks at Kyungsoo first, then Jongdae. “I don’t think — neither of — _any_ of us would have sabotaged the navigation.”

Jongdae collapses into the nearest chair and buries his face in his palms, suddenly looking a lot smaller than he usually seems. “I didn’t think so either, but how do you explain the fact that while he were asleep,” he points to a screen that he brings up on the navigation tablet, “the ship recalibrated and started going off in a ninety degree angle from the path we should’ve been taking?”

Kyungsoo’s by the captain’s side in an instant, rubbing his shoulders in a way that comes only from the familiarity of being roommates all throughout college. Chanyeol would be jealous, but he knows the action is meant to be soothing in nature and doesn’t carry with it romantic intent.

“If we fix it now, how much time have we lost?” he asks, taking the navigation tablet from Jongdae’s hands and studying the projected paths. With a few taps, he manages to correct their direction and the tablet automatically readjusts course.

“It’s really not the time I’m worried about. That can be made up easily,” says Jongdae, taking the tablet back from Chanyeol and checking his work. “I’m more concerned about — I have no idea what malfunctioned and it’s scaring me because it’s too soon for anything to go wrong. I checked the controls right before going to bed yesterday, and everything was still where it was supposed to be.”

Jongdae makes a distressed, helpless sort of noise and looks toward Kyungsoo for help. Despite being the youngest, he’s the best at dealing with situations under pressure. There’s just something about Kyungsoo’s ability to keep a level head at all times that’s comforting to the others, and it’s infectious when the most they need to do is stay focused.

“It’s fine,” says Kyungsoo, gesturing with one hand for Chanyeol to move closer so he can lay a hand on both of their shoulders, so he can hold both of them at once. “Something will always go wrong. It’s best to just be prepared with that thought in mind. That said, it’s still useless to worry about what can’t be prevented or what’s already happened.”

He hasn’t said anything that the other two didn’t already know, but hearing it from Kyungsoo puts their nerves somewhat at rest. Jongdae allows himself to lean into Kyungsoo’s touch for a second more, then gets to his feet. “You’re right,” he says, moving in front of an empty screen. “It’s better to be prepared. I’m making a rotation schedule for this area. If it comes to it, we can start sleeping at staggered intervals too so that there are always two people awake to deal with threats.”

Jongdae takes suggestions from his crewmates, and with everyone’s input he’s able to draw up a schedule that’s not too different from their usual habits. With all of the distractions, he completely forgets about the galaxy guide that he was looking for in the first place — and by the time the three of them exit the control room and Chanyeol switches off the lights, nobody’s noticed the fourth presence that’s been eavesdropping on their conversation from the beginning.

\---

Chanyeol brought his guarded box into his room when it was time to sleep the other day, and Jongdae hasn’t seen it since. He hasn’t even had the time to think about it, but when he goes to give Chanyeol status updates before everyone checks out for the night, he opens the door of Chanyeol’s room just in time to catch his friend hurriedly tossing his blanket over his bed. The box is tucked in the very back corner of the room, and Jongdae can see that although it’s open, its contents are empty.

“Is everything okay?” Jongdae asks suspiciously, curiously staring at the lump under Chanyeol’s blankets. “Do you need help with anything?”

“I’m good,” Chanyeol says, shaking his head vigorously to indicate that everything’s okay. Jongdae can see up close that Chanyeol’s eyes are watering, and not even a split second later, his friend lets out a loud sneeze that seems to shake the whole ship.

“BLESS YOU,” Kyungsoo yells out from his own room on the other side of the hall. Jongdae points a finger in the direction of Kyungsoo’s room and gives Chanyeol a doubting look. “Everything is not okay. Don’t lie to me, Park Chanyeol. You’ve been sneezing nonstop. Whatever you brought back in that box is making your allergies act up. Now, what the fuck is under-” and as Jongdae’s looking at the lump under Chanyeol’s covers, wondering what it could possibly be and watching his friend try to hide it with his body, the lump fucking _moves_. Jongdae swears it shifts three inches to the right, and he has to rub his eyes to make sure he’s not seeing things.

“What the fuck,” says Jongdae.

“Please don’t be mad,” pleads Chanyeol. Jongdae’s about to open his mouth and ask what in heavens Chanyeol is talking about again, but he doesn’t even get the chance to when Chanyeol sighs and moves away the blanket — and there is a literal kitten on his bed. A kitten that he snuck on the ship.

Jongdae inhales. He holds his breath, looking back and forth between the kitten and Chanyeol.  

“Don’t,” warns Chanyeol. The kitten paws at Chanyeol’s thigh, and Chanyeol smiles as he reaches out a finger to scratch the animal’s neck. As Jongdae watches on in disbelief, Chanyeol’s nose scrunches up and he sneezes again. Jongdae finally releases the breath he’s been holding.

“KYUNGSOO OH MY GOD GET OVER HERE AND BEAT CHANYEOL’S ASS FOR ME,” he hollers, backing towards the door in shock because _Chanyeol brought a kitten onto his ship what the hell was he thinking._ There’s no response from Kyungsoo, and Jongdae’s about to march into the hallway and yank open the door to his room himself.

“NO KYUNGSOO DON’T COME OVER HERE IT’S OKAY,” Chanyeol screams, equally panicked at the prospect of being pummeled by Kyungsoo’s fists, mainly because he knows Kyungsoo won’t hold back out of politeness. The kitten flinches at his volume and darts a few feet back, disappearing under the corner of Chanyeol’s thick blanket.

“What in space are you two shouting about?” Kyungsoo demands angrily, appearing in Chanyeol’s doorway in his pajamas. “I was literally about to fall asleep.”

“CHANYEOL BROUGHT A KITTEN ONTO MY SHIP,” Jongdae yells frantically, not knowing what to do about the situation. They can’t care for a kitten. They can hardly even care for themselves.

“He did what,” says Kyungsoo flatly, walking towards the bed and looking around the room for the kitten in question. Jongdae can pinpoint the exact moment when he spots the furry tail peeking out from under Chanyeol’s blanket, because Kyungsoo suddenly goes very, very still. “You’re joking.”

“Before you ask, I can explain,” rushes out Chanyeol, wringing his wrists nervously. He ignores Kyungsoo’s terse reply of, “I’m not sure I even want to know” and continues, patting the space on the bed next to him. “When we were at the rest stop and getting supplies-”

“You mean when Kyungsoo and I were getting supplies and you were making _stupid decisions_ ? _”_ Jongdae cuts in, sitting down on the proffered space. He’s two seconds away from opening a door somewhere and hurling Chanyeol and his kitten off into space. As though reading his mind, Chanyeol makes a wounded expression.

“There was this Byeonhyeong who was looking for homes for these pets, and Honey was looking at me so sadly — I just had to take him with us! Besides, it’s always nice to have company. You two are so stressed all the time, a kitten will be good to have around to keep you from going crazy.”

“Too late for that,” says Kyungsoo. “If you want to keep me from going crazy, kindly throw yourself off this ship.”

“That’s mean, Kyungsoo.”

“Chanyeol, that is a cat. You are hella _allergic_.”

“It’s not so bad,” Chanyeol tells Kyungsoo, lifting his blanket and scooping the tiny kitten up into his arms. “Honey triggers my allergies much less frequently than cats usually do. We have to keep him. Guys, please?” he’s practically whining now.

“You’re stupid,” Kyungsoo decides. “And you probably have a death wish as well.”

“You named him Honey?” Jongdae asks incredulously, ignoring Chanyeol’s begging. He’s still not over Chanyeol’s poor decision-making skills. He reaches out tentatively, patting Honey’s soft fur with two fingers.

Chanyeol shrugs. “He’s special.”

At this, Honey purrs contentedly, rubbing his face against Chanyeol’s chest. Jongdae has to admit, he’s kind of cute — with his honey-gold striped fur and fluffy tail. The name is fitting.

Kyungsoo ends up making the decision for him. “Chanyeol, you’ll get sick. I’ll take Honey in my room. If your allergies worsen — nope. Not even going to think about it. I am not having any of it, Honey will sleep with me.” And just like that, a kitten is added to the crew of Jongdae’s ship.

“Okay,” says Chanyeol. “That’s fine with me. He’s kind of picky, though. Honey won’t sleep if you do first,” he explains. “He has to fall asleep before you do, otherwise he’ll wake you up. It’s the only way he feels safe.”

“Never mind,” says Kyungsoo. “Fuck that. I can’t. He’s sleeping with Jongdae.”

Jongdae pauses. “Wait. I don’t recall volunteering for this.” His mind is still spinning, wondering why he didn’t object immediately to the addition to his crew.

“Too bad,” says Kyungsoo. “As the captain of this ship and crew, you are expected to fulfill whatever duties fall upon your shoulders in order to ensure the safety and well-being of your comrades.”

“I’ll show you well-being -” Jongdae starts, moving menacingly towards Kyungsoo, but Chanyeol’s hand tugging on the collar of his shirt stops him. “Stop your nonsense, guys. You’re going to scare Honey. We want him to think we’re all a loving family here.”

“Fine, fine! Give him to me,” Jongdae settles back down on Chanyeol’s bed and holds out open arms. He’s expecting Chanyeol to pass over the kitten as carefully as possible, but instead Honey is dumped unceremoniously into his lap. Jongdae winces as he feels claws digging into his thighs.

“Aren’t his eyes pretty?” asks Chanyeol, still cooing over the animal. Jongdae frowns. He can’t deny that the kitten does have rather alluring eyes, with their flecks of light that imitate the glowing of stars in the night sky, but there’s something oddly familiar about them that he just can’t place right now.

“Is that it? Can I leave now?” Kyungsoo’s monotone voice interrupts Jongdae’s musings, and with a quick goodnight to his crew, he carries Honey in his arms back to his own quarters.

\---

He remembers leaving Honey on the floor by the doorway, but when Jongdae returns to his room from the adjacent bathroom, the kitten is curled up right in the center of his bed, seemingly sleeping. Jongdae stops in front of his bed, unsure of how to make Honey leave. At his quiet footsteps, Honey perks up one ear and mews softly at Jongdae.

“Um, no,” says Jongdae. “You’re not sleeping with me. Sorry.”

Apparently the kitten has suddenly forgotten all Korean because he’s still sitting in the middle of Jongdae’s bed and doesn’t look like he has plans of moving anytime soon.

“Move,” says Jongdae. “Or I’m going to squash you.”

He feels kind of silly for talking to a cat, but Honey gives him such a determined look that Jongdae’s sure he understands him on some level. It reminds him of the look Kyungsoo always directs at him whenever Jongdae threatens to do anything stupid. If he gives in to his weird paranoia, it’s almost as though Honey is daring Jongdae to follow through with his threats.

Honey doesn’t move, and Jongdae thinks, _fine_. So he takes a running jump and throws himself chest-first toward his mattress, watching smugly as Honey gives a small cry and scrambles out of the way. Once he’s sure he’s no longer within the kitten’s view, Jongdae quickly divests himself of his outer clothing, tosses the garments somewhere close to the foot of the bed, and dives under his blankets once he’s wearing just his boxers. He thinks about calling for Honey, but if he’s honest with himself, he’s too exhausted to process the events of the day or think of the cat right this instant. Besides, he knows Honey will be fine.

To his surprise, he can’t fall asleep. When the restlessness finally becomes too much to bear, Jongdae reaches out and switches on the lamp on his bedside drawer, unsure of how much time has passed. His attention is immediately drawn by a book on his desk across the room. Jongdae’s on his feet in a second because he’s been looking for the galaxy guide for so long and it’s such a relief to have found it — even though he doesn’t remember leaving it on that desk. Caught up in a juxtaposition of confusion and satisfaction, he moves toward the desk as though in a trance, dashing back to his bed in excitement after he’s gotten hold of the familiar pages of the manual once more.

Jongdae, sitting criss-crossed on his bed, reading the galaxy guide: this feels familiar. What catches him off guard is when not twenty minutes after he’s gotten settled, Jongdae feels something shift on the bed, first darting over the sheets and then sneaking close to his body. It’s not until he hears a quiet mew that Jongdae finally tears his attention away from his galaxy guide and looks down at the insistent golden furball at his side.

Honey stares up at Jongdae, and he raises an eyebrow in return. “What do you want?” Jongdae snaps, a little impatient and a little annoyed.

His question is answered when the kitten carefully raises a paw in the air and sets it on Jongdae’s upper thigh. Jongdae’s first reaction is to brush the animal off, but he pauses, curious about what Honey wants. When Jongdae doesn’t immediately fling him across the room, Honey deems it safe to proceed and slowly lowers his other paws on Jongdae’s leg, his tiny claws digging into the fabric of Jongdae’s boxers. He watches, mesmerized, as the kitten walks diligently across the tops of his thighs, coming to a stop in his lap and curling himself into a small ball.

Jongdae can’t bring himself to move Honey away, and maybe he’s just a little bit charmed by how cute the golden kitten is. He sighs once, softly, as he lowers the manual in his hand and instead brings his fingers up to scratch at the back of Honey’s neck, smiling when he hears the little one purring away contentedly in his lap.

 

**Day 10**

 

Ever since the mishap with the navigation, no major catastrophes have occurred, but Jongdae knows not to hope. Occasionally, he’ll notice things out of order, not in their place, but nothing too serious; he makes mental notes to talk to Chanyeol since his friend has a habit of misplacing his tools. A few of Jongdae’s personal items have gone missing, but they always reappear later — in a completely different area of the ship that he remembers leaving them in. Yesterday his underwear had ended up in Kyungsoo’s room, and when Chanyeol brought them back to him he was so embarrassed that he’d forgotten to ask what Chanyeol was doing in Kyungsoo’s bedroom. Now, he’s not sure that he wants to know, but the more he thinks about it, the more Jongdae suspects that his best friends are playing tricks on him to distract him from worrying about their trip. Not only that, they’re doing his chores, too; Jongdae had meant to fix the sink in the morning, but he’d woken up and it was already done — but when he told Chanyeol that he didn’t have to do his work for him, his friend had only returned a blank look.

Jongdae kind of wishes Chanyeol had left it to him. In space, after all the mandatory tasks are done, there’s not much else to do but wait until they reach their end destination. Jongdae spends a lot of time playing with Honey in his room — and Chanyeol was right about the benefits of having a pet around to ease the mind. In just a few days, Jongdae has grown used to having a tiny, furry kitten on the other side of his queen-sized mattress at night — even if Honey never stays on his designated side of the bed. Even so, it’s comforting to Jongdae, having another living creature close by to remind him that he’s not all alone in the depths of space.

Who would have guessed that he would warm up to sleeping with a kitten in his room? Chanyeol, probably. The mechanic spends almost as much time playing with Honey as Jongdae does; the kitten is always delighted when Chanyeol barges in to present him with another metal contraption of some sort to scratch his claws on.

Jongdae steps out of the shower, towelling his hair dry as he goes. He puts on a pair of boxers and tugs on the pajama pants Kyungsoo got for him as a joke in college — the ones with space dinosaur doodles printed on them (neither of them are sure about the existence of such creatures, but they’re cute in Jongdae’s opinion). Then he goes about his nightly routine, brushing his teeth and then frowning at his moisturizer when he notices that the bottle seems way more empty than it’s supposed to be. He doesn’t know if he has any more of that particular one; he expected it to last for the entire trip.

When he exits the bathroom, he’s greeted by Honey eagerly bounding towards him and darting between his legs, curling his tail around Jongdae’s ankle and meowing at the dinosaurs on his pants. The sounds are so similar to a snicker that Jongdae feels the need to defend himself. “Hey,” he says, frowning down at Honey, “don’t laugh at me. Kyungsoo got these pants as a gift to me, and I have been wearing them for years because they’re _comfortable_ , okay.” And then Jongdae promptly feels ridiculous for explaining his life choices to a kitten.

For all of the kitten’s feline behavior, Honey’s energy levels are more akin to a puppy’s — so much so that sometimes Jongdae stops to wonder if the cat was a dog in a previous life. On more than one occasion, Jongdae has looked up from his research only to find Honey caught in between two opposing actions, almost like the kitten was rewired and is no longer sure how to behave in the body of a cat.

Jongdae bends down and scoops Honey up into his arms, hissing when Honey scratches at his bare chest when he walks them toward the bed. He can almost swear the cat is smirking at his barely-defined abs, but he pushes that out of his mind when he sits down on his designated side of the bed and gently lowers Honey on the other side. After scooting up against his pillows, Jongdae reaches for the book at the top of the stack on his dresser. It’s a handbook on the history and traditions of the Byeonhyeong that Junmyeon lent him, and Jongdae figures he’ll need the knowledge sooner or later if he’s really going to play a part in uniting the nations.

He’s only about four chapters in when he feels a small body climb onto his chest from a small window of space between his forearms. From the corner of his eye, Jongdae sees Honey’s telltale fur as the kitten ducks under his wrist, pawing insistently at Jongdae’s skin.

“What is it?” Jongdae asks fondly. The actions feel familiar, but the sentiment behind them is completely different. Honey meows forlornly at Jongdae’s book, batting the cover with his small paw. He continues until finally Jongdae loosens his grip and the book is knocked out of his hands. Satisfied, Honey snuggles up to his side, protesting when Jongdae clicks his tongue in mock annoyance and lifts and moves him back to his own side of the bed. As Honey whines, Jongdae tosses his book onto his dresser and turns out his lamp, casting his room in darkness so the two of them can sleep.

The moment Jongdae’s back hits the mattress and he closes his eyes, he feels a small, furry body creep back onto his shoulder, curling up into a fluff ball in the curve of his neck and trailing his tail gently against Jongdae’s collarbone. Jongdae huffs, but when Honey purrs softly, he reaches up and scratches behind Honey’s ears, just the way he knows the kitten likes. “Goodnight,” he whispers, twisting to press a quick kiss to the top of his pet cat’s head. Honey meows once in response, and Jongdae refuses to feel foolish for imagining that Honey is wishing him a good night, too.

Eventually, Honey’s breathing evens out, and when Jongdae falls asleep that night, it’s with his hand curled protectively around the mini, honey-golden ball of fur tucked against the junction of his neck and shoulders — feeling, not for the first time, like it’s exactly where Honey belongs.

 

**Day 11**

 

When Jongdae wakes up, the first thing he registers is that the fur that usually tickles his nose isn’t there (Honey tends to stretch his tail around in the middle of the night).

The second thing that he registers is that he is slowly being crushed to death. There’s a heavy weight on his chest and Jongdae cannot _breathe_.

The third thing that Jongdae registers is that what was previously a kitten sleeping contentedly in the crook of his neck last night has become a head of messy golden blonde hair in the light of day (even though, technically, they’re in space and there’s nothing to distinguish day and night). A head of messy hair that’s attached to a slim but muscled body that might feel nice on top of his own, if the circumstances were different. Honey is nowhere to be found, Jongdae notes with panic when he lifts his own head a bit and scans the room.

After his brain finally catches up to the rest of him, Jongdae shifts slightly and it slowly sinks in that there’s another person draped all over him. More accurately, there is a _naked human body_ of the _male form_ (if the hardness pressing into his hip is anything to go by) currently _laying on top of him_.

Jongdae yells.

The head buried in his neck immediately jerks awake and up at the noise, and Jongdae finds himself staring into a pair of familiar starry eyes.

Jongdae screams again, and the other boy scrambles backwards across the bed, taking the blanket with him. “Wha-?” And then a look of alarm flits across the stranger’s face so quickly that Jongdae doesn’t even have time to wonder what caused it before the other boy is composing himself (as best he can in his state, anyway) and lifting a hand up to his throat, like he almost doesn’t recognize his own voice. “Oh.”

“Where’s Honey?” asks Jongdae, his voice carrying more hysteria than he would ever admit. He’s about to accuse the stranger of stealing his kitten and then worming his way into Jongdae’s bed when his gaze falls on the mop of honey-golden hair at the top of the stranger’s head that matches his missing pet’s _exactly_. Jongdae stares and stares at the hair, and then he understands.

“Honey?” asks Jongdae, eyes widening in both apprehension and confusion. His mind is struggling to catch up, mentally flying through all the clues that he missed: _Rest stop… kitten… eyes with stars…_ _Byeonhyeong… shapeshifter._

“Huh,” says the boy, ignoring Jongdae. He brings a hand up to his face to observe it, then shifts and stretches his arms lazily over his head. “Whoops.”

“Honey?” Jongdae repeats when there’s no response, more sure of himself now.

“Uh,” says the boy, noticing his nakedness and making no move to further conceal himself. He has the audacity to smirk. There’s a corner of the blanket tossed strategically across his lap, but Jongdae is still uncomfortable as hell. His eyes never leave the other boy’s face, wishing he could punch the stupid smirk off the other’s face. “I can be, if that’s what you want?”

Before Jongdae can open his mouth and ask _how dare he_ , Chanyeol chooses this moment to throw the door to Jongdae’s room open, bursting into the room with Kyungsoo on his heels. “Jongdae! We heard screaming is everything oka- OH MY GOD THERE’S A NAKED BOY KYUNGSOO DON’T LOOK.” The boy — _Honey,_ Jongdae mentally corrects — launches himself across the bed at the unexpected intrusion, landing in a crouching stance and looking as on guard for possible danger as ever. Chanyeol slaps a hand over Kyungsoo’s eyes with a yelp, a little harder than necessary, and then in a flurry of not knowing what else to do, slaps his other hand over his own eyes.

Dead silence. No one dares to move a muscle; the two pairs of uncovered eyes dart warily between the four bodies in the room. For someone who’s naked and surrounded by strangers, Honey looks remarkably unaffected, at least more calm than Jongdae would be in his place.

Kyungsoo reacts first. “Chanyeol,” he grits out in a low tone. “Please remove your abnormally large hand from my face.” When Chanyeol does with a slight whimper and Kyungsoo gets a good look at said naked boy perched on the corner of Jongdae’s bed, his eyebrows disappear into his hairline. “Wow. He’s a ninja.” The sarcasm in his tone is obvious.

Kyungsoo stares at Honey. Honey stares at Chanyeol. Chanyeol stares at Jongdae with his brows wrinkling in confusion, clearly unable to correspond the images of Honey the cat and the person in his head. Jongdae thinks he’s going to have a migraine.

“How about…” he takes a hesitant step forward, as though approaching a startled animal — though he supposes he is, in a way. “How about we get you dressed first?”

\---

If Honey was more or less undisturbed when he was naked, then clothed he is downright at ease. He tugs on the boxer shorts, shirt, and sweats that Jongdae tosses at him (they make sure to turn away because even though they’ve already seen everything it’s still _awkward_ ), and then Honey flips himself halfway across the mattress and plops down in the center of Jongdae’s bed, looking expectantly towards the crew.

“You can turn back around,” he calls cheerfully. Jongdae turns around, sees Honey dressed in his clothes, and suddenly is reminded of why he’s furious.

“I changed in front of you!” he accuses, indignant at the invasion of privacy. “You were a cat!” He doesn’t know if this betrayal that’s bubbling in his chest is more because he no longer has a pet cat or because his pet cat turned out to be a Byeonhyeong. A Byeonhyeong who snuck on board to screw up their mission; Jongdae remembers the adjusted course ancd missing galaxy guide and feels even more annoyance welling up in him.

Honey rolls his eyes (the attitude!). “Yeah, well. You guys saw me naked, too, so I guess we’re even.” Then his mouth twists in distaste like he’s thought of another grievance against Jongdae. “And stop calling me Honey. It’s Baekhyun. You’re terrible at naming pets.”

“Baekhyun.” Jongdae tests the weight of the name, finds that it affects his vision of the shapeshifter very little. “You changed the course of my ship.” He isn’t asking a question.

“Yes.” Baekhyun shrugs. He doesn’t try to hide it.

“And you stole all of my things. And broke the heating system.”

This brings a scowl to Baekhyun’s face. “And I returned all of those things, and I fixed the sink when you were too tired to the day before yesterday.”

No one needs to ask the questions — what he is, where he came from, why he snuck on board — the root of it all is the prophecy and the mission Jongdae was given. Chanyeol sits down on the edge of the bed, not noticing the watchful eye of Baekhyun, who Jongdae is sure is poised for flight at any given moment underneath his careless exterior. Before he can, Chanyeol reaches out and snags the hem of the shirt that Baekhyun’s wearing.

“So,” the smile that he gives Baekhyun is a friendly one, “I guess the only question is, what do we do with you now?”

\---

“I can’t believe Chanyeol and Kyungsoo thought it would be a good idea for you to continue sleeping in my room,” Jongdae says to the ceiling. He’s on his side of the bed, as is Baekhyun. They can’t see each other in the dark, but Jongdae is hyperaware of every movement that Baekhyun makes, the loud breaths he takes, and is certain that Baekhyun is still awake. The quiet, but still sharp, inhale that he hears after his statement affirms his guess; Baekhyun’s still conscious, though he was close to drifting off to sleep.

If Baekhyun is annoyed at being pulled back from the barrier of dreamland, he doesn’t show it. On the other side of the bed, Jongdae can hear him flipping his body around to face Jongdae, the sheets rustling around him. Jongdae keeps his own eyes trained on the plastic glow stars he stuck on the ceiling in a moment of sentimentality and could never peel back off.

“I think Chanyeol had the right idea,” says Baekhyun after a moment’s silence. “You’re going to need me if you really want to learn about Byeonhyeong customs. I’m more helpful than that book you were reading, anyway.”

Jongdae can’t tell if he’s offended the other. He rolls his eyes anyway just for good measure, even though he knows Baekhyun can’t see him in the darkness of the room. “Chanyeol thought it would be a good idea because he’s too soft against people who are trying to take advantage of his kindness. What makes you think I was reading that book for anything other than a way to pass the time?”

This time the answer is immediate. “Please,” Baekhyun scoffs. “There’s a lot you can learn about a person from just observation. I know that you don’t trust the prophecy. But you’re still trying to unite the warring factions, right? You think the real change has to come from the citizens, starting from yourself.”

Jongdae doesn’t know what to say, not when Baekhyun has hit the nail on the head so accurately. He finally settles on, “I don’t see how a hunk of gold is going to solve anything.”

“Me neither.” Baekhyun must have moved closer, because his next words are louder. “But if you don’t believe in the prophecy, why are you here?”

Jongdae doesn’t answer, but it doesn’t matter because Baekhyun answers for him. “It’s because you think your brother’s going to fix everything.”

This gets a reaction; Jongdae whips his head to the side. “How do you know about Junmyeon?”

“You have a picture of him on your nightstand.”

“... Right.”

Baekhyun continues. “You Ingan think that everything can be solved with collaboration and teamwork and all that peace shit. Look at it from our point of view, though. Would you like it if you’d existed happily for eons with a special culture and the power to shapeshift, and then all of a sudden these humans from the next planet over came to tell you that they were going to force you to use their technology because your traditions were no longer good enough?”

He has a point.

“It’s not like that-” Jongdae starts to say, and then he has to stop himself. Because it _is_ like that. At least for the majority of his home planet.

He chooses his next words carefully.

“We aren’t trying to force our technology on you, or whatever. It’s more like… combination of cultures. Diversity. Like fusing ideas together in order to create something better for the universe.”

Baekhyun snorts, but it sounds half-hearted. The sound reminds Jongdae of Baekhyun’s age; how despite the respective ages of their species, the two of them really aren’t so different.

“When is your birthday?”

“Does it matter?”

“Just tell me the year, then.”

“10,992.”

“Me too.” So he was right. The only thing that really sets them apart is their upbringings. Jongdae sighs loudly, the noise of his exhale harsh in the otherwise silence. It’s clear they won’t agree on the fate of the universe for a while. “I still can’t believe they made us share a bed. They already let you stay.”

“What would you have preferred?”

“Honestly? Should’ve tossed both you and Chanyeol off my ship and into empty space when I had the chance.”

Baekhyun laughs, and it’s the most welcome sound Jongdae has heard all day. It echoes in his mind when he finally closes his eyes, and it’s what guides him to a gentle sleep long after Baekhyun’s breathing has evened out.

 

**Day 14**

 

Jongdae has grown quite accustomed to waking up with Baekhyun’s warm body pressed against his back. Today is no different. Jongdae twists in Baekhyun’s arms, craning around to poke Baekhyun’s cheek. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

Baekhyun cracks one eye open first, then immediately lets go of Jongdae and scoots his body backwards. “Crap,” he says, staring at his own arm that was wrapped around Jongdae like a vine. “Again?”

Jongdae shrugs. “I don’t mind that much,” he tells the other. He actually doesn’t mind at all, but he sees no point in notifying Baekhyun of this information. Being roused from slumber by the sensation of Baekhyun tightening his arm around Jongdae’s waist isn’t altogether unpleasant, he thinks. It’s rather nice to be tucked so safely in someone else’s embrace.

“Sorry,” says Baekhyun, not meeting Jongdae’s eyes — and Jongdae doesn’t really have anything to say to that so he makes some small noncommittal noise. Then something occurs to him, and he’s not sure why it took so long for him to think of.

“It is because you’re used to sharing a bed with someone?” asks Jongdae, genuinely curious about the response.

“Is what because I’m used to sharing a bed? I’m not, by the way,” Baekhyun answers as he sits up.

“You’re not? So why the cuddling?” Jongdae regrets the words as soon as they’re out. They imply something that Baekhyun and him aren’t, and it just sounds _wrong_ in a way that he wishes it wasn’t. He ignores the part of him that feels a sudden, unexpected relief at Baekhyun’s lack of a partner and hopes his face isn’t burning. Jongdae doesn’t even know why he would care.

Thankfully, Baekhyun doesn’t seem to give his slip-up another thought, nor does he look at Jongdae’s face as he tosses his legs over the edge of the mattress and stands up. “I’m not sure,” he says in a tone of voice that can only be described as carelessly honest. “Maybe I’m used to curling up on your shoulder in my kitten form. All living things crave touch and affection and whatnot, right?”

 _Yeah_ , Jongdae thinks as he watches Baekhyun heading towards the bathroom, eyes glued to the familiar messy golden hair. _Touch and affection._ He’s afraid that the thoughts whirling in his head are loud enough for Baekhyun to hear. To mask them, he calls at Baekhyun’s back, “Stop using my lotion!”

Jongdae smacks Baekhyun (lightly) upside the head later when he catches the scent of his moisturizer on Baekhyun’s skin. Baekhyun glares at him disbelieving for a second, his eyes demanding a reasonable justification. The fire in them isn’t enough to hide the amusement tugging at Baekhyun’s lips, though, so Jongdae knows that Baekhyun’s just pretending to be mad.

Just like he’s pretending to be mad about the lotion.  

“Want to explain yourself?” Baekhyun asks, raising an eyebrow at the grin that spreads across Jongdae’s lips. Jongdae shakes his head vigorously, still smiling.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

\---

And just like that, something changes between them. Baekhyun proves to be a helpful hand around the ship when both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol are busy with their respective jobs, and he makes fast friends with the rest of the crew. Of course, it was a given that he’d get along well with Chanyeol (the mechanic did take care of him for a few days before he was discovered, after all), but it surprises Jongdae that Baekhyun’s managed to charm over Kyungsoo as well.

Jongdae remembers how he’d shuddered when Baekhyun had called, loudly but jovially, “Soo! Can you make me a waffle? Please?” through the kitchen at breakfast, how he’d waited for Kyungsoo to either clock Baekhyun over the head for the nickname or start his argument of how pancakes are better, but neither of what Jongdae was waiting for ever came. Instead, he’d been gobsmacked as Kyungsoo only nodded and within twenty minutes, Baekhyun had a beautifully cooked waffle in the shape of a star on the table in front of where he’s sitting.

Jongdae has half a mind to demand that Baekhyun tell him what spell he put on Kyungsoo, but that would probably destroy the fragile trust they have between them. The last time he’d tried to use a cute nickname to charm Kyungsoo, his roommate had purposefully used the last of his expensive shampoo. And then he’d hit Jongdae over the head with the empty bottle. Never again.

Kyungsoo has a surprisingly strong hit for someone so small in stature. Not that Baekhyun would know, Jongdae thinks with mild annoyance. He briefly wonders if all Byeonhyeong are just as easy to get along with, if only given the chance.

\---

It’s nearing evening when they arrive at their destination, landing at the site of the El Dorado, Exoplanet Hwanggeum, located in a cluster of planets far from their homeland. Jongdae hates it immediately. Even as they’re exiting the ship with protective gear on, he can’t wait until they can leave. His skin is crawling as he surveys the jagged cliffs jutting up from the ground and the deep chasms carved into the land, an ominous mixture of foreboding and dread filling his chest.

He can’t shake the feeling that something will go wrong again. The uneasiness is back, but tenfold. Kyungsoo looks at Jongdae with concern. “You feel it too, right?”

He nods. The atmosphere is thrumming with dark energy, the ground beneath them slightly vibrating as it soaks up the power generated from Jongdae’s ship. On the other side of Kyungsoo, Chanyeol takes a step closer, crowding into Kyungsoo’s personal space — and for once, Kyungsoo doesn’t push him away.

As much as Jongdae’s trying to feel brave, he can’t. He’s about to hustle everyone back on the ship again and hightail it out of there when a hand slides its way into his own, keeping him from losing his footing on the rocky earth.

“It’s going to be okay,” reassures Baekhyun when Jongdae looks up at him. Somehow, the action erases some of the tension in his body, and oddly enough, as Jongdae slowly feels better, he believes Baekhyun’s words.

At least he does up until it’s time to locate the El Dorado. The prophecy had said it would be found within the heart of a foreign structure, and Jongdae knows that means traveling underground, deep into the earth. As they’re huddled around an opening in the tallest mountain on the planet, Jongdae closes his eyes and sees burned into the back of his eyelids hundreds of images of the rock collapsing over their heads, trapping them inside. He doesn’t want to go.

Baekhyun’s hand on his lower back is a comforting pressure that urges him forward. Once he’s inside the walls of rock, it’s every bit as terrifying as he thought it would be. It’s so dark inside, and Jongdae feels like he’s being suffocated by the earth, little by little — but Baekhyun’s arm linked around his own elbow is there, an unwavering presence like the moon in the sky from his home planet — until they finally emerge in a larger and thankfully more illuminated cavern.

The ceiling is tall, dotted with stalactites that look as though they’re going to fall any second and spear someone through the chest. Just in case, Jongdae riffles through his backpack and pulls out an extra layer of protection in the form of a specially-designed Ingan training jacket. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, given special packs before leaving on the mission, do the same — but then too late Jongdae realizes that Baekhyun doesn’t have anything extra with him besides the smaller backpack filled with emergency materials that he loaded up with Kyungsoo’s help earlier.

Jongdae hesitates, then holds the jacket out to Baekhyun. “You need it more than I do.”

“No, that’s okay,” says Baekhyun, pushing it back towards Jongdae. Jongdae’s about to threaten that he will forcibly stuff Baekhyun’s arms in and zip Baekhyun up in the fabric if he needs to, and suggest that he save both of them the embarrassment, but the Byeonhyeong’s next words make him pause. “What?”

“I said I’ll shapeshift,” murmurs Baekhyun, taking the jacket and holding it out for Jongdae to slip his arms into. He zips the jacket up for him and pats the pocket over Jongdae’s heartbeat. “Do you think I’ll fit in here?”

It’s almost like he’s asking if there’s room for him in Jongdae’s heart.

Before Jongdae can answer, he blinks and suddenly in place of where Baekhyun was standing is a small, golden-feathered bird. Jongdae stares, trying to reconcile Baekhyun and the bird in his head. No matter how many times the other might transform, the ability always comes as a surprise.

Kyungsoo looks amused, despite the seriousness of their situation. “Now when I call him a bird-brain, I won’t be lying.” He snickers even more when Bird Baekhyun swivels his head around and sends a sharp glare in his direction.

They resume walking, and having one member of their party in non-human form, perched in Jongdae’s jacket pocket, seems to ameliorate the unmentioned strain on each of their shoulders. Occasionally Baekhyun will fly ahead, scouting for unprecedented danger with his new, sharper eyesight, and if any one of them hears a warning chirp, they’ll stop and wait for Baekhyun to fly back and change so that he can explain what’s up ahead. It seems that if Baekhyun’s concentrating, he can switch back into his fully clothed form, so Jongdae figures that the first time was because Baekhyun had really accidentally changed back in his sleep and not because of some ulterior motive.

The next time they hear a chirp, it soon becomes clear why. Jongdae stops right in front of where the cave branches off to two separate directions, the gloom and shadows making it impossible to tell what lies ahead in either direction. If he strains, Jongdae can hear a faint, steady trickle of water, though he’s not sure which direction it’s coming from. Baekhyun hovers in the air, fluttering his wings impatiently, and when Chanyeol and Kyungsoo have caught up, Baekhyun drops to the ground and changes forms, making Jongdae jump back when the other boy materializes again way too close to his face. He’s glad it’s too dark in the cave to see the flush that he’s sure is crawling up the side of his neck as he avoids Baekhyun’s eyes and steps around him to face his crew.

“We have to split up,” Baekhyun announces to the group without much preamble. Jongdae blanches, about to argue otherwise, but Chanyeol beats him to it.

“What? No way. That’s the best way to die.” He looks to Jongdae for support. “Jongdae?”

“I think Baekhyun is right,” interrupts Kyungsoo, garnering looks of shock from the rest of the crew. “No wait, hear me out. We already have a limited amount of time — we’re halfway into our trip, time wise. And we haven’t even found the damn thing yet, which could easily take _days_ if we waste time traveling all the routes that could be covered adequately with just half of us. We have to be resourceful if we want to make it back before the next moon, which prophecy dictates that we must.”

“That still doesn’t mean that it’s safe, and with Baek in Dae’s pocket, Jongdae has to protect the both of them by himself-” Chanyeol halts mid-sentence, and when he blushes Jongdae understands why: he’s instinctively paired himself off with Kyungsoo, leaving Jongdae to deal with the shapeshifter.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” says Baekhyun easily. “I’m staying in this form until we meet up again.” If he’s perturbed at the thought of partnering with Jongdae, he doesn’t make it known. “C’mon, Chanyeol. There hasn’t been any sign of danger so far — besides the hostile environment of course, but other than that not really anything — and we’re all smart enough to take care of ourselves. The sooner we find it, the sooner you guys get to go home.”

Something about it doesn’t sound quite right to Jongdae, and he startles when he realizes it’s the fact that although they’re finding the El Dorado together, Baekhyun didn’t include himself in the party returning home. For the first time, Jongdae wonders what’s going to happen to Baekhyun at the end of their mission. Does he return to his home planet and possibly be labeled as a traitor? Or does Jongdae bring him back to Jigu?

Nobody talks for a while, and with no small amount of embarrassment Jongdae understands that they’re all waiting for his input. As the captain, he gets final say in whatever they choose to do. He nods at Baekhyun. “Okay. We’ll split up, but only for an hour. Use your timers,” he fingers his own watch, “We’re meeting back here. If fifteen minutes passes after the hour and Baekhyun and I haven’t made it back, come looking for us. Or take the ship and save yourselves, I can’t really stop you at that point.” He lets a smirk slip across his lips when Kyungsoo smacks him.

“We’ll come for you if anything happens,” Kyungsoo says, his eyes dancing with unspoken agreements that promise a whole lifetime of friendship. He doesn’t even need to ask if Jongdae will do the same.

“Be careful,” Baekhyun tells Chanyeol from Jongdae’s side, putting a hand on his shoulder. He can hear Chanyeol’s quiet sulking. “Don’t look like that!” coaxes Baekhyun, as though the only matter is a child who isn’t getting what he wants. “I’ll see you in an hour, okay?”

“Okay,” says Chanyeol, lips still jutting out in a pout. Before Baekhyun can decide against it, he pulls Chanyeol into a hug, his small frame being dwarfed by Chanyeol’s body. Jongdae feels a slight flare of jealousy before he can remember that it doesn’t mean anything, and after a while, he goes over to hug his best friend as well.

“Don’t you guys dare get emotional on me,” Kyungsoo threatens, joining the rest in exchanging hugs and goodbyes. “Stop saying ‘goodbye’. It’s more like a… a ‘see you later,’” Jongdae pretends that he doesn’t hear Kyungsoo’s voice shaking and his friend gives him a grateful look before he clears his throat. “Jongdae, I never knew that you couldn’t even last an hour without me by your side.”

“Liar,” chides Jongdae, wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo. He whispers directly into his ear, “You knew the moment you came home from class in freshman year to find the kitchen on fire.” He’s glad for the startled laugh that rips free of Kyungsoo’s throat.

\---

“Hey, Jongdae?” It’s the first time either of them has tried to make conversation beyond muttering technical instructions. Neither of them had said anything as they watched Kyungsoo and Chanyeol walking into the darkness of the cave split-off, their figures slowly engulfed by the shadows — Jongdae had felt a spike of panic at the way his friends had seemed so helpless against the vast obscurity, but Baekhyun had tugged on Jongdae’s arm, reminding him that they had their own job to do.

“Yeah?” Jongdae doesn’t stop walking, doesn’t look at Baekhyun as he shines his flashlight over the cave walls, the beams bouncing back and reflecting nothing but their isolation.

“Can I ask you a question?”

It sounds like whatever Baekhyun’s about to ask has been gnawing at him for a while, piquing Jongdae’s curiosity about what it could be. “Yeah, of course,” he answers absentmindedly, trying not to sound too interested.

“How did you become friends with Chanyeol and Kyungsoo?”

“Oh.” This time Jongdae stops and looks at Baekhyun. “I wasn’t expecting you to ask that.” When Baekhyun doesn’t say anything, he starts walking again, determined not to meet Baekhyun’s eyes as he answers the question. The ground shakes ever so slightly as they walk, and Jongdae tries not to think about the ceiling collapsing over their heads.

“I’ve known Chanyeol since I was born, basically.” The cavern they’re in widens out as Jongdae talks, and ahead he can see where the rock under them drops down to a chasm, towards the bottom of which they can hear a moving stream of water. At least they know the source of the trickle Jongdae heard earlier. “We’ve been best friends since forever. Everything you could think of, we probably experienced it together. I don’t really know how to explain it other than that. He knows me like no one else does.”

“Not even Kyungsoo?”

“Kyungsoo might be the exception, maybe. A side effect of living together for years?” Jongdae laughs, thinking of all the times him and Kyungsoo argued over the stupidest things. “It’s kind of intimate when you live with someone and get to know all their bad habits and stuff.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Baekhyun says, turning his face away.

“Really?” Jongdae turns sharply to look at his partner. “You’ve never lived with anyone?”

Baekhyun hesitates, then slowly shakes his head. Jongdae smiles.

“Well, now you’ve lived with me. That counts for something?” He’s not sure if it’s his tone, the way he offers the statement as a question, or the way he’s smiling at him, but a flicker of a smile graces Baekhyun’s lips. He nods.

“Yeah. It does.”

Jongdae continues, “Chanyeol and Kyungsoo — I consider them to be my family. And they’re the only ones I’d work with in the field, because out here? In space? Anything can go wrong, and you have to be able to trust the people around you. There’s not really any room for secrets, not when you have to count on the abilities of other people to get you home safely.” He finally meets Baekhyun’s gaze, leveling an expression at him that doesn’t leave room to doubt what he means. “You’re my partner now. I have to trust you, Baek.”

Baekhyun nods and reaches out to take Jongdae’s hand, but in his eyes — Jongdae’s not sure if it’s a trick of the light, but he’s pretty sure that the emotion swimming in those depths is guilt. Before he can ponder further, Baekhyun turns his face away, towards the shadows that swallow up his expressions.

\---

It doesn’t take long to get to the edge of the chasm. Even from the top, looking down, it’s impossible to see a thing or know what’s at the bottom — the only sound that echoes off the inner walls of the mountain is that of rushing water, and Jongdae shudders when he thinks of the chaos awaiting in the darkness.

“Do you see anything?” he asks Baekhyun, wondering if he should ask his partner to change into a form with better eyesight. Baekhyun doesn’t appear to have heard; he’s on his knees, bent over the edge of the chasm a few feet away. Jongdae worries that someone with malicious intent will come along and push Baekhyun straight into the canyon before he remembers they’re the only two in the vicinity.

“What are you looking at?” Jongdae asks, walking towards the spot where Baekhyun’s kneeling, staring intently into the dark, and the other scrambles back and swears under his breath.

“Me? I wasn’t looking at anything,” Baekhyun says much too quickly. His face darkens in fear. More than anything else, the stars in his eyes are what gives him away.

“Yes, you were,” says Jongdae suspiciously, getting to his knees. “Move over,” he commands, shoving Baekhyun aside and ignoring his protests of “It’s nothing!” because there’s clearly something that’s captured the Byeonhyeong’s attention, something that Jongdae can’t see with his ordinary human vision. He shines his flashlight towards the patch of rock that Baekhyun was staring at — and bingo. He knows why Baekhyun was hiding it, and why he looked so terrified.

There, jutting out from the side of the canyon is a ledge. And if Jongdae directs the beam of his flashlight a bit to the left, he can make out a small cavity in the rock. It’s easy to go unnoticed if one’s not specifically looking for it, and Jongdae somehow knows that the El Dorado will be in there, in Exoplanet Hwanggeum’s extra storage pocket. He snorts at the thought.

“Don’t,” says Baekhyun, his face serious and already looking like he’s gearing up for an argument. “Wait. Really. It looks dangerous.”

Jongdae stands up and turns around. “No, really? Never would have guessed.”

“Shut up. What I mean is, the risk is unnecessary. You don’t even know that it’s in there.”

“Yes, I do know that it’s in there. Now pass me the rope. It’s in my backpack.”

“Jongdae, I’m serious. I’m not letting you.”

Jongdae raises a brow. “What, are you scared?”

“Of course not!” Baekhyun snaps, a little louder than necessary. He flushes. “Maybe a little.”

“You don’t have to come down there with me. Actually, this will probably work best if you stay up here to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt.” Baekhyun doesn’t seem to realize what he’s said until he notices that Jongdae’s staring at him. His blush is so obvious now that it’s visible even in the dim cavern lighting. “ _Stop_.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like…” Baekhyun struggles to get the words out, and Jongdae has to strain to hear his whisper. “Like you want to kiss me.”

Jongdae hadn’t even thought his emotions were that obvious on his face. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Pass me the rope.”

“Jongdae, no…” The objections on the tip of his tongue die off as Jongdae leans over and drops a soft kiss on Baekhyun’s cheekbone. It has little to do with his apprehension about going down into that chasm and everything to do with how Baekhyun is looking at him like he’s afraid he might never see the stars in the universe again. Like he might never see Jongdae again.

“Look at me,” says Jongdae. “Like, really look.” Baekhyun does. “I’ve had years of training. I’m going to be fine. I’m going to have this rope around me, and you’re going to tie the other end around that stalagmite over there, and you’re going to help lower me down to the cave. Trust, remember?”

“Trust.” Baekhyun finally nods, inhaling. “Okay.”

\---

Being lowered onto that ledge is terrifying every step of the way, but when Jongdae steps into the cave and sees a flash of gold in the beam of his flashlight, he knows he’s found it.

\---

The El Dorado is heavy in his arms, a chunk about the size of a baby’s head, and Jongdae didn’t really think this out. He wonders if he can throw it back up to Baekhyun somehow, but he doesn’t want to risk damaging it. At least he can show his partner.

“Hey, Baek!” yells Jongdae, waving an arm when the Byeonhyeong comes into view. He holds up the gold in his arms as best he can. “Look what I obtained!”

All is well; Jongdae’s inchworming his way back to the surface by digging his fingers and feet into crevices in the rock (he’s using his badly dented flashlight to make crevices where necessary) when three quarters of the way, the unthinkable happens. Jongdae misses a step and his foot slips, knocking his balance backwards. He shouts, and Baekhyun yells at him to hold tight to the rope wrapped around his middle, the rope that he can feel loosening by the second.

He can barely make out Baekhyun’s directions over the deafening roar of the water below him. The panic is settling in again, and the rate of his heartbeat is spiking so high that Jongdae worries his heart will beat right through his chest and fall into the chasm. He squeezes his eyes shut and takes a deep breath to calm himself, hoping that there will be solid ground beneath his feet when he opens his eyes again.

Baekhyun’s not strong enough to pull him up; this Jongdae knows. Baekhyun doesn’t have the same muscle that he does from training, and even if he did, Jongdae has a hunk of gold in his arms that might be a third of his weight by itself. No sooner than these thoughts pass through Jongdae’s head and he’s preparing for the worst, he hears two separate cries, and when he blinks, he can make out the figures of Chanyeol and Kyungsoo by Baekhyun’s side. Jongdae has never been so happy to see his best friends.

It takes the combined strength of the crew to hoist Jongdae up, Chanyeol reaching down with an outstretched hand to pull him up the last few feet. Jongdae reaches up with one arm, the other occupied by the El Dorado, and just when his fingers have barely grazed Chanyeol’s — the rock beneath Chanyeol’s body crumbles under his weight, pebbles and fragments falling into the abyss.

Kyungsoo screams. It might be the first time that Jongdae’s ever heard the sound, ever seen true panic in Kyungsoo’s eyes, and he doesn’t ever want to see that frightened, haunting expression again.

Although there’s a strong possibility that he might not live long enough to.

Chanyeol’s hanging a few inches above him with a death grip on the rope. “Shit,” he says, droplets of sweat rolling off his forehead. “There’s no way that Soo and Baek have enough combined strength to pull both of us back up.”

Jongdae gets it a second before Chanyeol is done speaking. “Don’t you dare,” he warns, narrowing his eyes at his childhood friend. “Don’t you dare let go of that rope.”

“Jongdae, it’s the only way.”

“Shut up, I don’t want to hear that. Let me tell you something, Park Chanyeol,” says Jongdae, using all of his upper arm strength to pass the El Dorado over to Chanyeol, who instinctively reaches out to help Jongdae. “Hold this for me.”

Chanyeol takes the gold; a split-second later, he curses. Jongdae smirks when the realization that he’s been tricked washes over Chanyeol’s features. “Goddamnit, Jongdae!” Chanyeol yells.

“You were saying? You can’t do anything now, since you’re the one holding the prophesied El Dorado. If there’s really only a way to save one person, it has to be you.”

Chanyeol swears again and kicks the wall of the chasm. The action dislodges pieces of gravel that rumble downwards into the murky depths.

“Quit doing that, you’ll slip. Now, take your heroic theatrics and shove them. All of us are making it back to Jigu, because I sure as hell am not dying on an ugly-ass rock planet, and neither are you. Listen to me,” Jongdae doesn’t know where this burst of courage is coming from, but he suspects it has to do with three others looking to him for direction and guidance. He won’t complain, either way. “Kyungsoo, is there any way you can reach Chanyeol?”

Kyungsoo nods, sending a glare at Chanyeol that promises nothing pleasant when he gets back on his feet. Chanyeol manages to flash a peace sign. Jongdae barks out instructions to Baekhyun, ordering him to make sure the stalagmite anchoring them doesn’t break off, and then turns back to Kyungsoo. “Kyungsoo, if you reach down a little bit — no, be really careful,” he cautions when Kyungsoo leans down a tad too far. “See if you can get the El Dorado. Chanyeol, do you think you can climb up a little?”

The trade-off is a bit awkward and definitely difficult, taking more than just a little bit of concentration, but it’s successful. No sooner has Kyungsoo gotten ahold of the El Dorado when he dumps it unceremoniously into Baekhyun’s empty arms, like he doesn’t even want to make contact with the mythical thing. As soon as his arms are free again, he reaches out to grab Chanyeol’s hand, just barely holding on. Still dangling into empty space with a rope wrapped around him, Jongdae has nothing much to do but possibly see if he can assist in getting back to the surface, wait, and observe.

Baekhyun sets the gold down on someone’s backpack, then wraps his arms around Kyungsoo’s middle. With both of Kyungsoo’s hands tugging on Chanyeol’s, the three of them manage to work together to bring Chanyeol safely back up to the surface. When he’s on even footing again, Chanyeol immediately turns around and yells for Jongdae to grab his hand. Much in the same way that Chanyeol was lifted, Jongdae soon finds himself back on rocky ground, immediately flopping onto his back to catch his breath once he’s no longer in danger. His stomach is still churning like a fast-paced, frothy river, like it hasn’t quite caught up to the fact that Jongdae’s not dangling over the edge of a chasm anymore.

Baekhyun crawls over to his side, offering a water bottle. Jongdae receives it gratefully, sitting up and taking huge gulps of the liquid in between steadying his breathing. Baekhyun watches over him anxiously the whole time, as though he’s afraid if he leaves, Jongdae will fall straight through the floor, never to be seen again.

When his heart rate is somewhere close to normal again, Jongdae lays back down without a word, blindly stretching out a hand. He can sense Baekhyun’s hesitation before he links their fingers together, but what’s important is that Baekhyun doesn’t let go afterwards as he lays down with Jongdae. Neither man says a word, and Jongdae finds himself staring at Baekhyun, wanting to lean closer and bridge the gap between them, but Baekhyun’s looking blankly at the ceiling of the cave, lost in thought. Jongdae decides it’s not the right time and tilts his head to the side so he can see how the rest of his crew is doing.

Kyungsoo’s waving his arms and shouting at Chanyeol a few feet away — Jongdae’s not concentrating too hard on what he’s saying, only that he’s vividly upset, probably about Chanyeol attempting to sacrifice himself — and Chanyeol’s trying to calm him down, but then Kyungsoo throws a poorly-aimed punch at Chanyeol, who catches his wrists with lightning-fast reflexes. Kyungsoo actually snarls, and he’s released instantly. Chanyeol takes a step backwards, almost tripping over a tiny stalagmite, and Kyungsoo screams something else at Chanyeol. This time Jongdae can make out, “You almost _died,_ Park Chanyeol, and all you’re going to say is sorry? I…” and Jongdae’s never seen his friend so furious, “... HATE YOU!”

Before Chanyeol can defend himself, Kyungsoo yanks him down by his collar and kisses him. Jongdae instantly looks away, feeling like he’s intruding on a private moment.

“I saw that coming,” says Baekhyun, looking almost proud, though Jongdae’s not sure of whom. He shakes his head and gets up, pulling Baekhyun with him.

“Let’s get back to the ship.”

 

**Day 17**

 

The El Dorado is kind of unremarkable for something that’s supposed to unite species that have been sparring since the beginning of time. Jongdae’s been lying awake for almost an hour now thinking about this.

Jongdae and Baekhyun haven’t talked about whatever this weirdness between them is, nor does he know how to approach the fact that they avoided certain peril together.

Jongdae is _antsy_ when he finally wakes his roommate up, and Baekhyun probably doesn’t appreciate it, judging from the put-off, mock-outraged face he’s making. “Why did you do that?”

“Because it’s time to get up?”

“Maybe another few minutes?” Baekhyun doesn’t wait for an answer, just rolls over and pulls the blankets up over his head. It takes Jongdae another half hour of coaxing and threatening to finally get him out of bed and washed up. When both of them are dressed in something other than pajamas and Baekhyun is no longer swaying on his feet, Jongdae gives him a gentle push in the direction of Chanyeol’s room down the hall. “Go tell him it’s time to get up while I wake up Kyungsoo and hopefully convince him to make us breakfast.”

Baekhyun taps his shoulder. “Whoever gets their assigned person up first gets first choice of Kyungsoo’s cooking?” he offers.

Jongdae nods, knowing that the odds are stacked against Baekhyun. “You’re on.” And he watches Baekhyun race eagerly down the hallway with a secretive smile tugging at his lips.

Five minutes later, Jongdae’s about to kick down Kyungsoo’s door (it never takes him this long to open it?) when there’s a hand on his wrist, stopping him. Jongdae turns in surprise to find Baekhyun, who can’t possibly be done waking Chanyeol up — Jongdae knows from experience how long it takes to get him functioning. “What are you doing? Chanyeol can’t be awake already,” Jongdae asks in confusion, unsure if Baekhyun’s trying to cheat his way to victory.

“Yeeaaah, you might not want to do that,” claims Baekhyun, smoothly escorting Jongdae away from the door. Jongdae digs his heels in.

“What are you talking about? Of course I do,” Jongdae argues, ignoring Baekhyun’s warning. “I want first choice of waffles.” He turns back and throws open the door anyway, only to find in the room Kyungsoo wrapped in Chanyeol’s tight hug, both of them occupying the same small space of Kyungsoo’s twin-sized mattress and likely naked (not that he cares to find out the accuracy of that particular guess). Jongdae flinches, rooted in place, and pulls the door shut faster than he’s ever done anything in his entire existence.

“I told you so,” says Baekhyun.

Jongdae’s not quite sure what to make of this new information — he’s happy for his friends, obviously, and he’d pretty much suspected something to that extent, but still. He looks over to Baekhyun, who’s watching him carefully, gauging his reaction. There’s a feeling that he doesn’t understand making its presence in his chest known — something akin to jealousy, but not quite. He stares at Baekhyun, not understanding the longing in his heart to hold him in his arms the same way that Chanyeol had Kyungsoo snuggled in his embrace.

“Come on,” Baekhyun holds his hand out for Jongdae to take, apparently oblivious to his inner turmoil. He gives Jongdae a soft smile, strands of honey-gold falling into his eyes like the sunset on Jigu. “Let’s give them some time to themselves. I’ll make breakfast today, do you want eggs or some sort of pastry?”

\---

“Chanyeol,” Jongdae begins hesitantly when they’re alone in the control room. It took him all afternoon to work up the courage to confront his friend about relationship values, to put into words what he wasn’t sure he necessarily wanted to admit to himself. “How did you know that you had feelings for Kyungsoo?”

Chanyeol doesn’t appear surprised by the question. “I never really knew for sure, I think. That I had romantic feelings,” he confesses, adjusting one of the speed levers. “I just always knew from the beginning of our friendship that I wanted to get under his skin. Maybe annoy him to death,” Chanyeol laughs before he turns serious again. “There was always that bit of doubt that held me back because I didn’t know if what I was feeling was temporary, or what. I didn’t want to pursue anything to have it backfire on me. But then he kissed me and it was like… I didn’t want him to ever stop doing that thing where he always bats me away when I try to get close, but then he smiles at me and slips his hand into mine when he thinks no one is looking. I didn’t want him to ever get tired of me, and I don’t want anyone to ever annoy him like I do.” Chanyeol’s cheeks grow rosy as he talks, his eyes taking on some faraway look that makes them sparkle as he thinks of Kyungsoo. “That sounds stupid, doesn’t it? It would probably sound more eloquent coming from him.”

“It doesn’t,” Jongdae reassures with a smile curving his lips. “I know what you mean.”

“You guys weren’t there, but in that cave on Hwanggeum, he kept worrying about me, and it was the first time Kyungsoo ever openly expressed his worry like that. He’s always so reserved, you know? And I knew whatever I felt, it was the same for him.”

“I’m really happy for you guys,” Jongdae says quietly. And he really is — he wouldn’t think anyone else good enough for his oldest friends except each other.

Talking to Chanyeol has only reaffirmed what Jongdae already knew — he knows exactly who it is that makes his heart soar. When he dreams, he sees radiant, starry eyes shining playfully at him, and it always makes a certain type of warmth unfurl in his chest, like coming home.

“It’s Baekhyun, isn’t it?” asks Chanyeol knowingly, watching the conflicting emotions warring on Jongdae’s face. “What’s stopping you?”

 _Byeonhyeong_ , Jongdae thinks but doesn’t say. He knows it’s not really that, but more some indescribable fear that they’ll never be able to really breach the gap in their cultures and connect once their common mission is over. Out loud he says, “We have to part eventually, right? Our homes are on different planets.”

“You should talk to him about that,” Chanyeol advises as he gets up from his seat after making sure all the controls are in their correct place. “Home isn’t necessarily always a location. Soo would agree.”

\---

The moment the door to Jongdae’s quarters latches shut with a soft click, Baekhyun crowds Jongdae up against the door and kisses him.

It’s slow, soft, and sweet. And regrettably brief, because Baekhyun backs away almost as soon as their lips have barely touched. Jongdae leans forward ever so slightly, chasing the taste of syrup and _Baekhyun_ , but he’s stopped by fingertips on his cheek.

Jongdae’s eyes flutter open. “Baekhyun,” he says quietly, voice dropping down to a whisper even though there’s no fear of anyone else overhearing them. “I like you a lot.”

Forget stars, Baekhyun has entire galaxies in his eyes. If Jongdae looks too closely, he can get lost in them forever, trying to map out a path home. Everything in creation stares back at him, promising him maybe a thousand things that he can’t have — but he’ll fight for them if necessary.

“Jongdae.” Has Baekhyun’s voice always been this delicate? “Kiss me again, please.”

Jongdae does.

They kiss for what feels like hours against that door — with no need to rush, content with exploring every inch of each other’s mouths. Baekhyun has a hand pressed against Jongdae’s jaw, and his hands are cold but it only adds to the sensations swirling over his skin. Something is beating incredibly quickly, but their chests are pressed so close it’s impossible to tell who’s heart is trying to escape out of its ribcage.

Jongdae doesn’t know at what point they got to the bed, only that Baekhyun’s straddling him with his knees resting on the mattress, one on either side of Jongdae’s hips. He tilts his face up, and when Baekhyun leans down to press hushed endearments to his cheekbones, his jaw, the corners of his lips, the golden strands of his hair tickle Jongdae’s nose. 

\---

Jongdae lets his hands wander over Baekhyun’s back, moving over all of his beauty marks, tracing constellations into his bare skin. When Baekhyun falls apart later under his ministrations, it’s with breathy moans and Jongdae’s name on the tip of his tongue. Jongdae stretches up to suck a mark into the pale flesh of Baekhyun’s neck and decides that it’s his favorite sound in the whole universe.

 

**Day 20**

 

“What are you doing with the El Dorado?” Jongdae asks curiously after dinner, sneaking up behind Baekhyun at the kitchen counter and wrapping both arms around him. “Kyungsoo told me to call you for cake while he went to find Chanyeol. Soo baked one to celebrate finding the thing.” He presses a light kiss to the Byeonhyeong’s cheek and Baekhyun giggles, ducking his head to kiss Jongdae back properly.

It’s not until Baekhyun’s hand is reaching towards the hem of Jongdae’s shirt that he remembers his question. “Wait, no. Baek. I meant it, what were you doing? I thought we all agreed to leave it wrapped in Chanyeol’s backpack. Like, alone?”

“Uh,” Baekhyun’s eyes dart away from Jongdae’s face. “Just washing it off?” He makes a show of splashing a little bit of sink water onto the gold. “There was a… smudge.”

Jongdae feels, not for the first time, a sinking feeling rising in his stomach as he searches Baekhyun’s face. He doesn’t know entirely what he’s looking for. Finally, he says, “Okay.” Gently taking the El Dorado from Baekhyun’s hands, he sets it down on a nearby shelf, out of Baekhyun’s reach. When he turns back to the shapeshifter, Baekhyun is biting his lip, worrying at it. “Baek?”

“Are you mad at me?”

“What? No, of course not. Is there anything you want to tell me? You look like there’s a lot on your mind.” Jongdae takes Baekhyun’s hands in his as he leans back on the island in the middle of the kitchen, giving Baekhyun his most encouraging look. “You can talk to me about anything.” He sends a silent prayer to the galaxy, because there’s one thing that he suspects but would die to hear firsthand from Baekhyun’s lips.

It feels like centuries before Baekhyun opens his mouth and says, “I really like you, Jongdae.” It should be reassuring, but instead it just digs the pit in Jongdae’s stomach deeper, like some sort of goodbye.

Jongdae laughs, but it sounds too forced, too harsh. “Is that it? I really like you too, Baek.” He leans in for another kiss, but Baekhyun turns his face away.

“I didn’t think you’d find the El Dorado,” continues Baekhyun, seemingly frustrated with his own words and their inability to get his point across. “I’m loyal to people I care about. Things I care about.” Jongdae sees the conflict going on in Baekhyun’s expression, and all of a sudden he doesn’t like where this is going. Baekhyun feels bad for something, and Jongdae doesn’t want to hear what.

“What are you trying to say, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun squeezes his eyes shut, groans through his teeth. “It’s — nothing.” When he opens his eyes again, Jongdae can feel the honesty emanating off from him in waves. “I think I might be in love with you,” Baekhyun admits, his voice sounding hopeless and shoulders dropping in defeat. What should sound like a joyous acceptance instead resembles an elegy.

This time, Baekhyun is the one who leans in, and Jongdae is confused with a million questions but still eagerly accepts him. They fly out of his mind the moment their lips touch, and he steps closer. The kiss is just turning into something else when a shout echoes off the walls of Jongdae’s ship, and then their names are being called by a frantic voice, Kyungsoo’s. Jongdae freezes, already feeling in his bones that it’s the end of something. He pulls back from Baekhyun’s lips slowly, regretting that he has to because no matter how many kisses they share, it always takes Jongdae’s breath away like the first time.

“Come on,” Jongdae says, holding out a hand. A dozen emotions flit across Baekhyun’s face, but when he finally takes the offered hand, the one that stays rooted in his expression is _resignation_.

\---

“Here’s the issue,” Kyungsoo explains, voice calm but clipped. “A fraction of our remaining fuel is missing. Likely drained, possibly reduced by Exoplanet Hwanggeum’s energy. Evaporated by the atmosphere. So — we don’t have enough to make it back to Jigu. We’re not going home on time. The fuel that we have left is just enough to land on-” his eyes find Baekhyun’s and Jongdae understands before Kyungsoo says it, “- Exoplanet Daleun, home to the Byeonhyeong.”

The floor seems to fall from under Jongdae’s feet. For the first time ever in space, Jongdae thinks that he can feel the speed of the ship, all the particles in the air whizzing around — and he feels dizzy.

Of course.

What was it that Baekhyun had said not five minutes earlier? His words suddenly make sense: Loyal to people and things he cares about. Jongdae thinks back to what Baekhyun said on their very first night sharing a bed, and he gets it. He really does.

He just didn’t think that Baekhyun would take him down in the process to protect himself.

What Chanyeol says next, though, makes Jongdae realize that his crew haven’t connected the dots in the same way that he has.

“It shouldn’t be too big of a problem, though. We have Baekhyun, and he can talk to the Administration there, convince them to get enough fuel to send us home and all that. Right?” And the hopeful look that Chanyeol gives Baekhyun is so trusting, too trusting. Just like Chanyeol.

“Right,” manages Baekhyun, flashing Chanyeol a smile that is too uptight to anyone who’s seen what he looks like when he’s truly happy and at ease. In bed with a hand covering his mouth, laughing until he cries at Jongdae’s dinosaur pants. Struggling to stay silent, gasping for breath in between screams of delight when Jongdae tickles him.

Chanyeol forgets for what purpose Baekhyun snuck onto the ship in the first place. Jongdae always knew that his tendency to see the best in people, give them the benefit of the doubt, would get him in trouble someday.

“Can we make a plan tomorrow? I’m really tired,” Jongdae lies, faking a yawn behind the back of his hand. Baekhyun gets up from his seat, silently taking the out that Jongdae’s offering.

Chanyeol frowns. “What about cake?”

“I think cake can wait until tomorrow,” Kyungsoo answers. The way that his eyes follow Baekhyun’s back as he moves toward the doorway makes Jongdae certain that Kyungsoo at least suspects the conclusion that he himself has already come to.

The fuel definitely has been drained, but it wasn’t a planet’s doing.

\---

“So were you going to somehow lose the gold, too?” Jongdae hadn’t meant to sound so accusatory, but the moment that the door is closed behind him and they’re in the safety of their quarters, it all just tumbles out.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Baekhyun avoids his eyes, opening a drawer and yanking out clothing items without even checking to see if they match. One of them just happens to be Jongdae’s dinosaur pants.

“Baekhyun.” The tone makes the Byeonhyeong turn, faking nonchalance, and Jongdae’s face is scarily blank, expressionless. He sighs and sits on the edge of their shared bed. “I know what you’re doing, Baek.”

“If this is about the sink thing again-”

“I’m not stupid, Baekhyun. I just didn’t want to have to expose you in front of Soo and Yeol. Tell me why you drained the fuel. You’re trying to stop us from, what? Going home and fulfilling the prophecy? Uniting the nations with the El Dorado. Why?”

“I was supposed to sabotage you a lot sooner in your trip,” Baekhyun says slowly. “But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. You weren’t supposed to find it. You were supposed to go home empty handed, and I wouldn’t have to hurt you guys.”

“You did sabotage us sooner, Baek. I know it was you that put my underwear in Kyungsoo’s room.”

“Okay, yes,” Baekhyun snaps, color rising in his cheeks. “Jongdae. You and I both know that was stupid and not meant to do anything other than cause mild trouble. Maybe psyche you out and convince you to turn the ship around and go home. I could have done a _lot_ worse, if my heart was really in it.”

“But you didn’t, because you know deep down that merging Jigu and Daleun is the right thing to do.”

“No,” Baekhyun shakes his head vigorously. “Shut up, Jongdae. You said it yourself, the El Dorado isn’t going to do a damn thing besides make trouble. I might be in love with you, but like I said earlier, family loyalty means a lot to me. You may be different, but I can't say the same for other Ingan. When it comes down to it, protecting my family is more important than some fleeting feelings I might have.”

Jongdae is hurt. “If you can have feelings for me, why can’t the rest of our species get along?” he bites back. He might be going down, but he’s not going out without a good fight.

“There’s just some getting along that isn’t possible in the long run!” Baekhyun thunders, stunning Jongdae into a silence. “We’re too different, Jongdae. We have been for the longest time. We might like each other a lot right now, but sooner or later when we go back to our daily lives one of us will get tired of the other. If you erase my history and culture and upbringing and try to make me assimilate for the good of the galaxy or some shit… eventually I won’t be able to do it, Jongdae. I love you right now, but I’ll end up hating you.”

“Stop saying ‘love’ if you don’t mean it, Baekhyun.” Jongdae feels a stab in his heart, cutting through him. To Baekhyun, love is evidently nothing more than a temporary arrangement, a superficial attraction. How could it be more, when he doesn’t think that long-term domesticity, or even _commitment_ , is an option for them? Jongdae understands Baekhyun’s fears too well, but Baekhyun doesn’t even want to _try_. “How did you even fall for me in the first place? Was that serious or just meant to be a one-off thing?”

Baekhyun doesn’t respond, and Jongdae takes his silence as the answer.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have gotten to know each other,” Jongdae says before he has time to regret it. He picks up his pillow before really thinking through his actions, fueled by anger and misery. “Since your race is apparently superior, you can have the bed. I’ll just go sleep in a chair somewhere, okay? Or better — I’m going to sleep in Chanyeol’s room. He’s probably with Kyungsoo, because they understand the concept of _compromise_.”

A pillow sails across the bed and hits him in the face. Jongdae snarls and grabs the extra pillow, taking it with him when he leaves the room and not caring one bit that he’s acting immature. Baekhyun can suffer without one and break his back, for all he cares.

The last thing he sees before he slams the door behind him is Baekhyun angrily shrinking down into a small honey-golden kitten.

 

**Day 23**

 

Baekhyun has refused to talk to anyone for two days, shutting down all communication like the pretentious snit that he is. But no matter where Jongdae sleeps for the night, in the morning he always wakes to find a kitten snuggled back up to him in the hollow of his throat.

Much like this morning.

Jongdae can feel the slight rise and fall of Baekhyun’s small body as he breathes. His heart clenches and he rolls his eyes to distract him from considering making up with the Byeonhyeong. One part of his mind is coaxing him to talk to Baekhyun, but the truth is that the other part of him is feeling particularly vicious, still stung from Baekhyun’s words a few nights before.

So he makes sure his feelings are known when he grabs Baekhyun by the tail and dumps him onto the floor.

Too bad he can’t do the same and drop him off somewhere in empty space. Nor are there any pit stops nearby with the route they’re taking to Daleun.

“Stick to your own side of the bed,” Jongdae hisses, ignoring the surprised yowl of the kitten.

If he’s honest with himself, he misses Baekhyun a lot, so much that all he wants to do is pick the kitten up and hold him close to his chest, hoping beyond expectation that his words about cooperation will finally get through Baekhyun’s thick skull. But he knows they won’t, so it’s better to move on as soon as possible, even if that means hurting himself temporarily.

\---

“Dae,” calls Kyungsoo, entering the control room and shutting the door behind him so that Jongdae doesn’t have an escape route. _Fuck_. Hadn’t he already told his friends that he didn’t want to talk about Baekhyun?

“I hope you’re coming to talk to me about our landing situation,” Jongdae says quickly, ignoring the feeling of Kyungsoo’s perceptive eyes on him. His crew had been much faster to forgive Baekhyun than Jongdae would have guessed they’d be in this situation, but he supposes it’s easier when there’s no feelings involved for them.

“You know I’m not,” Kyungsoo says, voice soft. Jongdae resists the urge to scream.

“I don’t know what there is to talk about,” Jongdae says darkly. “Baekhyun doesn’t see anything for us in the future. And he tried to stop my mission. There’s really nothing else.”

“He’s _afraid_ , Jongdae. You’re both being stupid. You spend all day silently moping and Baekhyun’s even worse. He doesn’t even leave your shared room anymore, did you know that? Yeol went in there today, guns blazing and all, and I could hear him yelling through the door. He really let Baek have it, and honestly? I don’t blame him. Though it must’ve been awkward for him to be shouting at an animal.”

“Yeah, well.” Jongdae sniffs. “I don’t see how that changes anything. Baekhyun still thought it would be a good idea to mysteriously drain our fuel on the way home to set us up for failure.”

“But Baek was being honest about loving you, Jongdae. You know it, or you wouldn’t have grudgingly kept him on the ship. It’s tearing him up because he just wants Byeonhyeong to be happy but he loves you so, so much. Don’t let it stop you just because he accidentally said some stupid ignorant shit, you know he doesn’t mean it.”

“How do you know he didn’t mean it?”

“He’s sulking all day; Chanyeol and I can see how miserable you both are. You both have good, accepting hearts, Jongdae — even if you were both raised in a prejudiced environment. But that’s the whole point, right? You should be the ones to set an example for everyone else to follow.”

Jongdae wrinkles his nose; Kyungsoo elbows him, shutting up the rest of his argument. “Fine,” Jongdae mumbles. “I’ll talk to him. Later.”

“No,” Kyungsoo says, hauling him out of his seat and dragging him along. “You’re talking to him now because this conflict needs to be resolved before we land at Daleun. Otherwise, that would go over terribly with the Administration.”

\---

Kyungsoo doesn’t let go of his arm until they’re at the doorway to the kitchen. There, he releases Jongdae and smooths an imaginary wrinkle in his shirt. “Be honest with each other, okay?” Kyungsoo’s trying not to show it, but he’s worried — of course he only wants them to be happy. Despite himself, Jongdae finds himself smiling, nodding as he gives Kyungsoo a quick hug. For his friends (and maybe for himself, too), he’ll give it a chance.

Kyungsoo leaves, and Jongdae takes a deep breath, steeling his nerves. When he enters the surprisingly silent kitchen, though, they return in full force when he catches insistent whispering in the form of Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s hushed voices. They didn’t bother to turn on the lights, and he can just barely make out their shadowy figures. He supposes the lighting is to his advantage; at least he won’t be able to see Baekhyun’s expressions of anguish.

Jongdae quickly ducks behind the wall, feeling slightly bad for eavesdropping but not caring enough — although he can’t really hear them anyway. More importantly, he needs a few seconds to recover from knowing that Baekhyun is in human form again, and _talking_ to someone. The idea is relieving in its own strange way, one that he doesn’t care to dwell on for too long.

When Jongdae finally makes his presence known, Baekhyun quickly shifts back into his kitten form and darts behind an empty jar on the tabletop, his back arched in apprehension. _Honey._ Jongdae almost wants to laugh at the irony. At the sudden change, Chanyeol turns his head to see what caused it, and Jongdae sees his face light up when Chanyeol spots him.

“I’m going to let you guys talk it out,” Chanyeol tells him as he goes, and Jongdae is thankful for the privacy.

He takes a seat on a tall stool by the tabletop, one facing the only window on the entire ship (not counting the dashboard in the control room). Baekhyun stares back at him from behind the clear glass of the jar, waiting, and Jongdae holds out his arms.

Even from a few feet away in the dark kitchen, Jongdae can see Baekhyun’s eyes shining as he leaps from the solid counter into Jongdae’s arms. He catches the tiny kitten, bringing him close to his chest and dropping a kiss onto the top of his head. Jongdae didn’t bother switching on the lights as he came in (they need to save fuel anyway), and Baekhyun’s fur is more metallic than ever in the soft glow from the window, its color rivaling that of the piece of gold hidden away in Chanyeol’s backpack. Absently, Jongdae tugs gently on Baekhyun’s tail to be annoying, remembering what Chanyeol told him about pushing buttons. Baekhyun mews quietly, but there’s no malice in either of their actions.

They sit there in silence, Jongdae perched on the stool with Baekhyun in his arms, both of their faces turned towards the massive round window — they look out and see stars, millions and millions of stars in an otherwise empty, dark, endless stretch of space and time, feeling like all they have in the universe is each other. The only illumination comes from the occasional twinkle of a celestial body outside the window, shining light into the kitchen that reflects brilliantly off their faces — they might be men on land, but out here in the vast expanse of cosmos and creation they’re only just boys with so much to learn.

Jongdae’s not expecting it when Baekhyun changes back to his human form; he suddenly has a lap full of Byeonhyeong, knocking him off-balance if not for the arms around his neck, steadying him. Baekhyun slides off of him and reaches out a hand to help him up, and then they’re standing face to face — and Jongdae is looking into the luminescence of Baekhyun’s eyes that he’s come to know so well.

“Baek,” he starts, tilting Baekhyun’s chin up so that he can’t look away, forcing them to meet each other’s gazes. “Look. Do you like me?”

Baekhyun’s voice is gravelly from lack of use when he answers. “Does it matter when we can’t be together anyway?” And then, “But you know I do, Jongdae.”

“Then there’s nothing stopping us from being together.”

“Dae-”

“No,” Jongdae interrupts. “Don’t be like that, Baek-”

“I wasn’t. I was going to say: this is my formal apology and I want you to know that I’ll do whatever it takes to get you guys home safely.”

Jongdae pauses, not believing his ears. “Wait, really? What made you change your mind?”

“Can I explain something to you?” Baekhyun’s voice is strained, but Jongdae pulls out chairs for both of them and gestures at him to sit.

“Tell me,” he implores.

“When I was in school, the first thing they taught us was what happened under the Old Government at Jigu. All I’ve been conditioned to think is that you’re not worthy to interact with me. Your ancestors used to kill and experiment on us shapeshifters, did you know? It’s something the New Government isn’t proud of, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t teach that part of history in schools.”

Sensing Jongdae’s inner turmoil, Baekhyun reaches out and takes his hand, lacing their fingers together. “You don’t have to say anything,” he continues. “I know things have changed and are really different, better, under the New Government. The past isn’t something that can be forgotten, or even forgiven, but it’s an experience that we can learn and move forward from. And you were right, Jongdae: we can’t survive on our own forever.”

“Cooperation,” Jongdae croaks. His throat is dry, painfully parched, because Baekhyun’s right. They don’t teach that part of history in schools anymore.

“Yes,” Baekhyun nods. “You, Kyungsoo, Chanyeol — you’ve all shown me more kindness than I deserved with my intentions. Except for when you stole my pillow. That was mean.” Baekhyun pauses to shake his head in mock disappointment before finishing. “And so I believe that other Ingan can do the same. When we stop on Daleun, I’m doing everything I can to convince the Administration to call off this passive-aggressive war, to give this El Dorado business a chance.”

“And,” Jongdae almost doesn’t want to ask, he’s so afraid that the answer won’t be what he wants to hear, but he _must_. “What about us?”

“My own feelings were really confusing to figure out,” Baekhyun admits. “But I do love you for real.” He smiles, and it’s the expression Jongdae has missed the most. “I’m willing to try if you are.”

 

**Day 26**

 

“Are you worried?”

“About what? But yeah,” Baekhyun says, shrieking when Jongdae flicks his nose. “What if I accidentally say something wrong?”

“Here, practice with me,” Jongdae says, grinning and sitting up straight. With difficulty, he imitates Chanyeol’s deep voice, going for the tone of an Administration official. “Baekhyun, you were really helpful to the Ingan. Care to explain what you were doing?”

Baekhyun tries not to laugh, his lips twitching.“Because I thought they were going to die on their mission, and I figured I could make their last living days more bearable.”

“... I don’t think that’s what you were supposed to say. In fact, why don’t you just keep that bit to yourself.”

Baekhyun swats Jongdae, then pulls him closer. “I’m going to ruin something,” he groans, hiding his face in the crook of Jongdae’s neck. Jongdae pats his back encouragingly.

“What have you got to fear? We’re all going to be with you,” he adds helpfully. “You said it yourself, the Elders are reasonable. They’ll be willing to give the teamwork peace stuff a try.”

Baekhyun snickers. “Not if you keep calling it ‘the teamwork peace stuff.’”

Jongdae drops a kiss on Baekhyun’s forehead. “It’s going to be fine. Trust me.”

Once they actually land on Exoplanet Daleun, Jongdae feels considerably less composed. Before he’s even finished shutting off the engine of his ship, there are already Byeonhyeong guards lined up around the perimeter of their landing site, and their weapons are less pretty up close.

\---

Having the attention of so many guards is kind of nerve-wracking. Many of them are looking between Jongdae and Baekhyun and their clasped hands with interest, or giving Chanyeol and Kyungsoo once-overs to make sure they aren’t carrying any weapons. One guard near the side looks like he’s trying to hide a laugh, but Jongdae’s sure that it’s only because he missed a rung on the ladder in the middle of exiting his ship and slipped down the last few feet.

“Take us to the Administration,” requests Baekhyun. His voice is polite but firm, steady.

“We were going to do that anyway,” says the guard in the front, motioning for a few of his companions to close in on them. His voice is kind and understanding, and when he smiles, a dimple reveals itself in his cheek. “Welcome back.” He nods at Baekhyun, who’s given away by his eyes. “Follow me.”  
Jongdae’s surprised by their mild welcome; he was expecting something more along the lines of arrest and possibly being manhandled, but instead the guards are content to lead them through the Chaglyug Landing Center in a civilized manner. As they pass through, Jongdae lets his eyes wander, appreciating the grandiose, complex intricacy of the Byeonhyeong Administration Building style of architecture as it comes into view. All around them, Byeonhyeong mill around, going about their daily jobs and occasionally pausing to give Jongdae and the others curious looks. Other than the decoration and the citizens, there aren’t many immediate, observable differences between life on Exoplanets Daleun and Jigu, and it’s with much satisfaction that Jongdae notes this.

\---

“... and that is why Byeonhyeong and Ingan are better off working together to preserve the traditions of their cultures instead of trying to annihilate each other’s species,” Baekhyun finishes eloquently, standing at the podium on the floor with the eyes of the entire Administration on him. “For the good of the universe.” He steps back and lets his hand find Jongdae’s again, the inquisitive gaze of Premier Yifan following his movement.

“Can we see the El Dorado?” a bright-eyed Byeonhyeong with dainty features calls from Yifan’s right. Baekhyun nods at Chanyeol, who digs it out from his backpack and walks closer to where the Administration is seated, presenting it to Yifan. Even in the dim lighting of the Administration Building, the El Dorado gleams with knowledge, written with the history of the Messier galaxy.

Yifan’s eyes travel over the gold quickly, but Jongdae knows that the examination is adequate. “Very well,” says Yifan. “We will provide the fuel to get back to Exoplanet Jigu. On one condition: I will accompany you.”

 

**Day 31**

 

Setting foot on Jigu soil again after almost a full month is weird. The planet itself doesn’t appear to have changed, but Jongdae knows that he isn’t the same coming back. The moment he steps off the last rung of his ship’s exit ladder, he’s being crushed in a hug by Junmyeon. “Welcome back,” his brother says, eyes shining with pride. “As promised, no new wars have erupted in the duration of time in which you were absent.”

“And no new wars will erupt anymore,” Jongdae replies, soft smile curling his lips. “Because we brought the prophesied El Dorado.” He gestures to where Chanyeol’s stepping off the ladder next, and Junmyeon eagerly pounces on him.

“I’m so proud of you guys,” Junmyeon fusses over Jongdae’s crew, asking them about how they’re feeling in between admiring the El Dorado with Chanyeol. He turns back to ask Jongdae the same question just as Baekhyun is exiting the ship, landing next to Jongdae and immediately throwing his arms around his neck. From over Baekhyun’s shoulder, Jongdae can immediately see the astonishment as it flies across Junmyeon’s features and whatever was on the tip of his tongue is forgotten.

“Who’s this?” Junmyeon’s eyes widen considerably more as Yifan exits the ship behind Baekhyun, and Jongdae’s brother hastily bows at the tall man before him. “Premier Yifan, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“Long story short, we only had enough fuel to get to Daleun and then we had to beg the Premier for the rest,” Baekhyun jokes, offering his hand to Junmyeon. “Hi, I’ve heard so many great things about you. I’m Baekhyun, from Exoplanet Daleun.”

Jongdae can see how Junmyeon instantly relaxes, how quickly he’s charmed by Baekhyun’s easygoing nature. “Baekhyun snuck onto my ship at the beginning of our journey,” he explains to his brother, wrapping an arm around the golden-haired Byeonhyeong. “Another long story short, Baekhyun helped us find the El Dorado and negotiate our way home with the Daleun Administration.” Chanyeol passes the El Dorado to Jongdae and he offers it to Junmyeon, who takes it with some confusion, grunting at the weight once it’s in his arms.

“Wait,” says Junmyeon, looking between Jongdae and Baekhyun. “Are you guys… together?”

“I-”

“Yes,” says Baekhyun decisively, nodding fiercely at Junmyeon. He reaches for Jongdae’s free hand, just in case there might have been some sort of confusion about what they mean to each other.

“Wait,” says Junmyeon again, his voice sounding like there’s a block in his mind that he just can’t wrap his thoughts around. “You’re from Daleun. Byeonhyeong.”

“Yes,” Baekhyun answers again, and now the confusion is coloring his voice along with a little bit of defensiveness. His eyes flash, the stars in them blinking rapidly. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Hold on for a minute.” Junmyeon keeps looking between Jongdae and Baekhyun’s intertwined hands like there’s a piece of the puzzle that’s missing, but when his gaze stops wavering between Baekhyun’s hair and the El Dorado in his arms, his mouth forms a little “o” of understanding.

“Is everything okay?” asks Yifan, sounding more than a little worried.

“Oh my god,” murmurs Junmyeon, unblinking. “Heart of a foreign structure.” The wonder is seeping into his words in bucketfuls. “The El Dorado. It’s not this gold.” Gently setting the block down at his feet, he approaches Jongdae and his crew. His next statement is aimed directly at Baekhyun. “It’s you.”

“What do you mean — I — what,” says Baekhyun.

“What,” echoes Jongdae.

“What,” repeat Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.

“What,” reiterates Yifan.

Junmyeon shakes his head. “It’s Baekhyun. Or, more specifically, it’s the role he played in uniting the factions.” Baekhyun looks two seconds away from passing out. “I’m guessing it took a while for you to get together? By working to change your own linear thinking, you two act as an example for educating the rest of your species. This is the kind of intergalactic cooperation the prophecy talked about.”

“I knew all along the prophecy was a bunch of bologna,” Chanyeol mutters, huffing. “I almost _died_ to get that hunk of gold!”

“But if you hadn’t, you and Kyungsoo might have danced around each other forever,” Jongdae points out. Junmyeon’s conclusion is swirling around in his brain, not sinking in fully. “Still, we could’ve saved ourselves a lot of effort.”

“No,” argues Junmyeon. “If it hadn’t all happened this way, you’d have come back the same, wouldn’t you have? It had to happen like this for you to learn to trust one another, to cherish the differences between you. The prophecy wasn’t nonsense, it just didn’t come true in the way any of us would have expected. But that’s the real magic, isn’t it?”

Baekhyun finally shuts off like a light, collapsing from sheer exhaustion and shock. If not for Jongdae’s arms supporting him, he’d have hit the ground for sure — but Jongdae knows Baekhyun will be okay. He’s stubborn, and if anything, strong. Against the buzzing of people chattering for a medic and attending to Baekhyun and the rest of the crew’s health and physical state, one thought sticks out in Jongdae’s mind over all the noise.

Across all the cosmos, Jongdae is certain that somewhere, a star is laughing at them. It’s not entirely a bad thought.

 

**Exoplanet: Jigu (to be renamed Jeolban, one half of a whole Wanjeonhan)**

 

“Does it actually look like me? I think they got my eyebrows wrong. What do you think, Baek?”

The New Government had asked what Jongdae wanted as a reward for bringing home the El Dorado, and still reeling from and feeling petty about the outcome of the prophecy, he’d asked for the most ridiculous thing that he could think of.

A marble statue of himself.

It was put up in front of the Government Hall within the hour.

“Your eyebrows are okay,” Baekhyun answers honestly, peering up at the marble carved in his lover’s likeness. Jongdae’s kind of regretting his choice now. “The statue has a way bigger nose than you do, though.”

“Damn it.”

“Do you think it’s going to be weird?”

“What is? My nose?”

“No, stupid.” Baekhyun reaches up and pinches said nose before Jongdae can duck his head. “Having everyone look up to us.”

“I think it’ll be worse for Yeol and Soo, having people approach them all the time to ask about us. Especially since they’re going to be living right next door when construction is complete.”

It was announced yesterday evening on national media that there would be open communication and travel between the previously warring neighbor planets, effective immediately. Construction had started at once to create a bridge of transport between Jigu and Daleun, and it was decided then that the factions would merge economies and autonomies to create a symbiotic relationship — one whole new planet system, Wanjeonhan. It would be governed by Junmyeon and Yifan, and seeing their matching blushes during dinner last night, Jongdae knew then that there would be absolutely no issues.

Baekhyun laughs, the sound as pretty as starlight. “You’re probably right about that,” he agrees, and Jongdae almost thinks that the Byeonhyeong can read his thoughts until he remembers what he said out loud not a minute ago. “I hope they like having us as neighbors, because they’re going to have a hard time getting rid of us.”

Jongdae laughs, carefree. He looks toward the luminous night sky, remembering what it felt like when gravity wasn’t there to keep his feet on the floor and he’d relied on Baekhyun’s presence instead. “Baek?”

“Yeah?” Baekhyun follows Jongdae’s gaze, not knowing if he’s supposed to be searching for something.

“I love you.”

_Ah, there it is._

“I love you, too, Dae.”

From the beginning, Baekhyun was right. Change starts from them, but even if the most stubborn of hearts can waver, then so can everyone else. Jongdae peeks at Baekhyun, who catches and holds his gaze — he sees the stars of the universe staring back at him and feels the beginnings of a larger hope blossoming in his chest.

 

**End.**

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading and happy new year! ♡
> 
> (let's be friends on [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/wistfullywishes) ♡)


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